Fantasy
by Lois Fogg
Summary: Revised version of my old AU fic. Serena and Mamoru find love in an alternate universe about to be destroyed by a tyrannical wizard. Chickens, sword fights and Mamo-chan au natural!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER:

So, as promised, I'm now posting the extensively revised version of my other fanfic that was very popular back in the day,_Fantasy_. However, the version you are about to read has been SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED from the original (now lost when ASMR died). I intended a while ago to try to sell this as a regular novel. So I went in, hacked out about 70,000 words, changed a lot of the plot around and hopefully wrote a better story. It ended up not selling (for reasons I understand), but parts of this story always make me happy. I thought that if all the revising work I did wasn't going to actually sell the novel, it might as well make the original fans I had happy. Most of the romance stuff is still there, though there may be some unexpected bits ;)

HOWEVER, I've decided to do something dastardly. Here is the very short prologue, just to whet your appetites. I'll post the first chapter in two days. It's long, you'll have a lot to enjoy. And then...well, if you want the next few chapters I'm going to have to be tough. Because I have published my own _real_ fantasy novel, Racing the Dark. If you like this, chances are you'll enjoy the book. Obviously, not everyone can afford to buy novels, but the fact is that it doesn't take much to raise an Amazon ranking. If one or two of the thousands of hits I get on my story actually buys the book on Amazon, the rank could easily get above 200,000. So, there you go. I'll post chapter two when the rank gets above 200,000. Don't hate me. If you're desperate, I suppose you can hunt down the original version, but trust me when I say that this one is better. To find out all you've ever wanted to know about Racing the Dark, go to my author profile. I have links to the first three chapters for free online, and the Amazon page.

Prologue:

Naked as lady Godiva, huddled in front of a campfire between two strange men and what smelled like their dinner, I realized that I could have handled this whole adventure business a bit better. It was a realization, though I didn't know it at the time, that would come to haunt me over the ensuing months--possibly because I could never quite manage to learn from my mistakes.

But, of course, you'll want to know how I found myself in this predicament in the first place--I certainly hadn't _intended_ to provide the evening entertainment--and all the bizarre events that happened afterward. You'll probably want to know about the chickens, too. But, so you understand, I'll have to begin a few days earlier, at the start of my troubles--or, some would say, my adventure.

Let me set the scene:

It's a sweltering Saturday night, late July in Georgetown, Washington DC. Well-dressed political socialites mingle with twenty-somethings and drunk college students as they crowd the sidewalks and weave through honking cars backed miles up the streets. On one particularly busy street corner is a travel agency--closed at the moment, but its windows are covered with posters touting odd destinations. _Neunaveut_, reads one, faded with age--_geologic wonderland_. One day soon, I will have cause to notice this unusual business, but not at the moment. My story begins next door: in a yellow tinted palace of poultry, a modern day salt mine otherwise known as Cluck-U-Chicken.

** Chapter One coming soon... **


	2. Why I Should Have Read the Fine Print

DISCLAIMER: This resembles the original _Fantasy_ you remember, but it's been extensively revised. Seriously. Read this one.

Oh, and remember that thing I mentioned about holding the second chapter hostage until my real fantasy novel, _Racing the Dark_, gets ranked above 200,000 on Amazon? Well, it looks like a few people bought my book because it's at 85,000 as I'm writing this. Yay! So, I'm giving you this chapter a day early. Want to read Book Two (Why I Should Have Learned to Use Chopsticks)? Then keep the rank above 100,000. I'll check in Sunday at noon. If it's sunk, then I'll just keep waiting a day and checking again. Again, all info about my book is in my author profile. Okay, then, enjoy. And review!

Book One: Why I Should Have Read the Fine Print

I was hot, I smelled like rancid fried chicken, and I could no longer fasten the top button of my jeans. In short, my life was not going precisely according to plan.

I hated the night shift. Only cuckoos--no pun intended-- came around, and most of them leered at me. Harvey, my toady manager, eyed me meaningfully from his office and smiled in a way that made my skin crawl. And to think, I was doing all of this for a barely livable ten dollars an hour! What had possessed me to major in history, I wondered dejectedly as I gave yet another balding, middle-aged man a "best of the breast" sandwich, trying to ignore his suggestive leer. Why not economics, or computer science? At least then I could be making some money right now, not desperately trying to find a job as a research assistant in a world where no one cares about the past.

"Serena?" Harvey called from the back room.

"What?" I pretended to be busily wiping the counter. Avoiding him was probably not the best method of dealing with his advances, but I knew that if I completely rejected him, I would be out of a job. As uninspiring as my life had become of late, employment still had its perks. Technically, of course, as the junior manager I should have been above such menial tasks as table-wiping and sandwich-serving, but we were understaffed and Harvey had put me on peon duty. I continued to wipe the table even though it gleamed with a suspicious shine.

"Can you come here for a moment?" he asked, obviously not fooled by my ruse. I sighed, and closed my eyes in a silent prayer.

"All right, hold on," I said, moving as slowly as I possibly could to the back office. I wondered what he had in mind this time, but predicting what path his amorous extravagances would take was almost an intellectual exercise at this point. Just last week he had given me a rubber chicken with a note that read: "I'm not chicken when it comes to luv." The 'u' in 'luv' had a heart in the middle. I nearly collapsed when I read it, and it was _not_ from girlish enthusiasm. I told him, regretfully, that no, I couldn't go out with him this Saturday my poor sickly great-aunt needed me againHe was probably wondering why she hadn't died yet. Finally, my plodding footsteps brought me in front of the door and Harvey ushered me in enthusiastically. More enthusiastically than normal, even. My stomach sunk to the floor.

He sat down in the chair behind the desk but I remained standing, hoping to hold on to at least a little of my dignity. He toyed with several facial expressions and finally settled on one that managed to look desperate, odious and falsely sympathetic at the same time.

"Serena, I'm afraid that I have a bit of bad news."

I was baffled. This didn't sound like his usual approach. "What is it?" I asked cautiously. He ran his hand through his thinning, greasy brown hair, and his slightly heavy jowls shook with tension. Harvey was at least twenty years older than me, and had been reminded of the fact several times, but he didn't seem to care. In all his overweight, greasy glory, he was sure that I would see the light very soon.

"I've been getting reports." He waved his hand vaguely around his cluttered desk.

"What kinds of reports?"

"Well...the customers have been sending in complaints about your performance here. Under normal circumstances I would be forced to fire you, but..."

"What sort of complaints?" I asked, my annoyance showing. I would bet all my money--not much, mind you, but my own--that none of said reports existed. What was this bastard doing to me? Couldn't he see that I didn't have the time or temperament to play his little, stupid games?

"Well...um..." he stammered uncertainly. Apparently, he hadn't factored my anger into his pre-rehearsed speech. "Your...attitude," he said finally, visibly wilting under my angry gaze.

"What attitude?"

"Some say that you're...rude, yes, that's it, very rude to them. You don't show them the proper respect. You're always evading them. You won't recognize how wonderful they are and agree to..." He trailed off, turning slightly red in the face. Oh yeah, I thought, _customers_ are saying this? How many of them have declared their love with rubber chickens?

"Harvey," I said, "this is ridiculous. You know perfectly well--"

"So, you see." He talked right over me, and I spluttered. "I just can't ignore this. But because you have been such a loyal employee, and because I have such a...personal interest in your welfare, I've decided to give you a second chance."

"Well, that's very nice of you, Harvey, but--"

"I thought you would appreciate it," he said complacently. "We can talk about it later, over dinner. Is tomorrow at eight o'clock all right with you?"

"It most definitely is--"

"Fantastic! I'll pick you up. Dress nicely, all right? We can work this out." He stood. "Tell you what, I'm sure that this news has upset you. Why don't you take the rest of the night off? Tom can manage on his own."

I stared at him, my mouth open to protest, but something in his expression stopped me. I knew that if I refused, I could kiss my job goodbye. Even so, I almost did it, but the thought of having to go begging my broke parents for more money stopped the words before they left my mouth.

"All...right..." I choked out, before I could think better of it. I let him hug me, even as the embrace lingered longer than was decent. Finally, I broke away.

"Good bye, Harvey," I panted, and ran out of his office. Tom gave me a pitying glance as I exited into humid, but remarkably chicken-free air.

---------------------

I ripped my clothes off as soon as I got home, and changed into some comfortable pink boxers and tank top. Mina, my wealthy roommate and the only reason I could afford the rent on a basement apartment in Georgetown, was, predictably, not at home. In addition to being ridiculously rich, she was also a bit of a nymphomaniac, which meant that I always had the apartment to myself on weekend nights. For a while I wandered around the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door and closing it without actually taking anything out. How dare Harvey do this to me? Wasn't that sexual harassment? I could call my lawyer, if I had a lawyer, but then I'd definitely lose my job. I could feel the walls of my apartment closing in, and I realized that I had to leave, or risk my sanity. I grabbed my keys and some sandals and walked outside.

Georgetown at night is a great place to be, and the balmy night air helped me to relax a little. Some pedestrians looked a little askance at my pink boxers, and the odd man in a car honked at me, but my mood improved exponentially as I walked. Taking a serious look at my life, I realized that I couldn't possibly take any more of Harvey, the self-appointed Casanova. I had to make a concerted effort to find a job, any job, right now. There had to be better opportunities out there for a college graduate. After about an hour, I found my way back to my street. My neighbor--I recognized her, but we had never met--was trying to drag several heavy-looking boxes inside, and some stray cat kept getting in between her legs.

"Kitty! Get away from here. Go, or I'll curse you!" she said, and I put my hands on my mouth. Yeah right, the lady looked about as dangerous as my sister's pet chinchilla.

"Um..." I said, walking up to her. "Can I help you?"

She peered at me from over the box she carried, which was about half her size. Apparently something about me shocked her so much that she dropped the box, narrowly missing the cat. It shot off immediately, having had enough near-death experiences for one night. We stared at each other, although I had to look down because she was at least a head shorter than me, which is saying something, since I'm 5'5" with my neck stretched out. She was middle-aged, and looked pretty, in an eccentric sort of way.

She fidgeted, tipping a huge, wide brimmed flower hat that looked, in the dim light, to be a strange shade of purple. I must have looked pretty unusual to her as well, although I couldn't imagine why pink boxers would induce such shock.

"Yes, sure," she said finally, unable to take her eyes off of me. She wiped her palms on her shapeless dress, and even in the lamplight the bright orange flower print stood out. I shuddered uncomfortably, and bent to pick up the larger box. She grabbed the smaller one and we made our way down the driveway. Hers was the only non-row house on the block. It was made of sturdy red brick, with ferocious carvings of lions flanking the front porch. She stumbled slightly on the staircase, probably because her eyes were glued to me the entire time, and I helped to steady her.

"Thank you," she said under her breath as she stuck her key in the lock. After a great deal of fumbling, she opened the door and we both deposited our loads inside. As impressive as the outside was, the inside boasted even more indications of extreme wealth. No one in our neighborhood was exactly needy, but this lady could have bought the Ritz Carleton if she wanted to, by the looks of it. Hanging unceremoniously in the front hall was a Picasso of the blue period, one I could bet was not an imitation. The other paintings I could see were all of superb quality, although I didn't recognize some of the artists. The rest of the decorations boasted as eclectic and exotic a mix as I had ever seen. Her floor was inlaid with marble, and mahogany West African carvings stood in niches on the walls. I must have been gawking, because she had to clear her throat to remind me of her presence at my elbow.

"Oh, sorry," I said. "It's just that you have the most incredible house. Did you travel yourself to find these things?"

"Oh, yes," she said, walking into the front hall and gesturing expansively. "Each one of my trophies has a story behind it. I'm a great traveler."

Some of her internal strength came across to me as I stared at her. Yes, I could believe it. As improbable as this tiny woman with strange taste in clothing was, she seemed able to take care of herself.

"Do you travel because of your job?" I asked.

"Why, no. I don't work. I am a Woman of Independent Means." I frowned. There were a lot of rich people with nothing better to do in DC--look at Mina, for example--but Petunia didn't strike me as quite that type.

"My name's Serena," I said, for lack of anything better. "I live across the street from you."

"Nice to meet you, Serena," she said, and for the first time I noticed that she had an accent, exceedingly faint, but it gave a strange lilt to her words not normally present in American English. "My name is Petunia." I shook her hand even as I stared at her with new amazement. Had I heard her properly? Petunia? For some reason, though, the name seemed appropriate.

Since she hadn't kicked me out yet, I turned to look at a picture on my right. It was a tiny watercolor of a woman and her baby lying among tall grass on some sort of plain. The woman looked young, perhaps twenty or twenty-one, and her long black hair was strewn about her. The baby was beautiful, with a dark thatch of hair and a beatific smile on his face. The two stared into each other's eyes, a deep blue that almost dominated the painting with its intensity. It was unsigned.

"Who painted this?" I breathed, unable to remember when I had been so moved by a piece of art.

"A good friend of mine," she said over my shoulder, and I jumped. I had not noticed her approach. "He painted this when he was only fifteen years old, and gave it to me."

"It's incredible," I said, still looking at the picture. "Only fifteen? How old is he now? He must be brilliant."

Petunia looked away from me, an unexpected pain in her eyes. "He's twenty-five, now. Yes, he is brilliant, but he has fallen away from this beauty. He has not painted in many years."

"God, why not?" I asked. For the first time I got a good look at her eyes, and was momentarily stunned by their violet. "It's a crime for someone to withhold a talent like this from the world."

I felt silly for being so melodramatic, but the power of the painting compelled me to make a statement like that. Petunia smiled and gripped my hand impulsively.

"You know, no one else here has understood," she said slowly. "But somehow, I thought that you would. You seemed to be the type of person to sense beauty." The moment hung in the air for a second, the two of us gripping the other's hands, staring into the other's eyes and sharing some sort of understanding. Then it fell away like so much sand and I turned from her.

"Thank you for showing me this place," I said, regretfully walking back towards the door. I was sure she didn't want me gawking any longer. Even so, a part of me knew that something much larger had just happened between us. She did not respond, even as I turned the doorknob. Just as I stepped into the street, I heard her voice. For some reason, I had been expecting it.

"Serena?" she said, quietly. I turned around.

"Yes?" I said.

"I'm going on a trip next week. I should be away for a month or more. I have several cats that need feeding...do you like cats?"

"I love them," I said, smiling.

"Would you like to house sit for me? I could give you a good wage...is $120 dollars a day all right with you? I know that it's probably not as much as you make at your current job, but--"

"I'll take it!" I interrupted quickly. A quick mental calculation revealed that nice large sum to be about 15 dollars an hour. A ridiculous amount for mere house sitting, but I wasn't about to quibble. This break seemed too good to be true. No more Harvey! I could hardly stand my luck.

"That's great. Come over tomorrow night and I'll give you more details. Is that okay?" she asked.

"It's great, wonderful, fantastic! Believe me, you won't regret this."

She laughed as I closed the door. Walking across the street, I wondered what had prompted Petunia to ask me, a complete stranger, to house sit for her. I wondered if she had an ulterior motive, but then dismissed the thought. Stranger things had happened, I figured. I skipped in through the front door and into my bedroom. What did I have to worry about? Finally, my life was going somewhere. That, at least, was true. If I had known where, though, I probably would have forgotten about the entire thing.

Then again, maybe not.

---------------------

"All right, Mina," I said forcefully the next afternoon. I didn't have work at the moment--not like I would have gone if I did--and as yet I had been unable to tell precisely what Mina did for a living. As far as I could see, she dated just about every guy that walked, and then slept off all the effort during the day.

"What is it?" she asked, yawning. She had been dozing in the obscenely expensive leather couch that she had bought for our living room. She was still wearing the red halter-top and black capris she had gone partying in last night. While our long blonde hair and light blue eyes had made a few people mistake us for twins, or at least sisters, Mina's clothing of choice was so wildly different from mine that people usually never noticed the resemblance. Looking at her now, I suppressed a small twinge of jealousy. Mina was the kind of person who never had trouble buttoning the top button on her jeans.

"We are cleaning this apartment."

"We're_what_!" Mina exclaimed, suddenly sitting bolt upright. She stared at me with an expression of sheer horror. "You can't possibly mean that."

"Oh, yes I can," I said. "There comes a point in every woman's life where she just can't stand it anymore, and I've made it! Do you see this?" I asked, holding out my cut and bruised hand, recently injured by an offending pizza box.

"What happened?" Mina asked.

"I tripped on a pizza box, that's what. And not just any pizza box, a_week old_ pizza box. This apartment is a health hazard!"

Mina winced. "Sorry, Serena. I should have picked it up."

"Yeah, you sure should have," I said, stalking over to the television and coffee table. "And you should have picked this," I lobbed an empty soda can in her general direction. "And this, and every other damn thing--"

"All right! All right!" Mina wailed, cowering under my rain of trash. I relaxed a bit. "It's just that I never had to clean anything up before. I'm not used to it. I'm sorry, I'll help you."

I stared at her and then shrugged. "Well, Princess Mina," I said, dragging her off the couch. "First thing you can do is to clean every single piece of trash and food that you have left around this apartment for the past month."

"All right," she said contritely.

"Do you know where the trash can is?"

Mina stalked off, muttering under her breath, grabbing soda cans and paper plates as she went. I made a face at her retreating figure. My relationship with Mina wasn't exactly adversarial, but it was definitely contentious. More than anyone else I had ever met, Mina and I acted like sisters. We even looked like sisters and we definitely fought like them. Which was why, no matter how much we fought or yelled, no serious damage was ever done to our relationship. Fights were superfluous; we still loved each other.

About three hours later, the apartment was finally clean. Mina lay on the couch again, rubbing her back, which she claimed was sore from all the work. To be honest, though, I had certainly made my share of the mess. I barely recognized the place now; it looked so uncluttered. I glanced at the clock and let out a yell of surprise.

"It's seven thirty!" I said, rushing to my bedroom.

"Don't tell me you have a date," Mina said.

"For your information, I do," I said over my shoulder as I took my shirt off and tossed it in a corner of my newly clean room. Old habits die hard, I thought ruefully. In a week my room would look exactly like its old self again.

"With who?" Mina asked.

"Harvey," I said.

Mina frowned. "Harvey...you mean _Harvey the toad_? You can't be serious. I'd thought better of your taste, Serena."

I smiled grudgingly. Mina had run into Harvey once, and had been decidedly unimpressed. "Yeah well, so had I." I sighed and started looking through my closet for something suitable to wear. "It's just that he's threatening to fire me if I don't go on a date with him and I don't know what to do..."

Mina knelt on the floor beside me and bit her bottom lip. "You mean he's...blackballing you?"

I stared at her blankly for a second before I realized what she meant. "Uh...I think you mean black_mail_, not black_ball_, Mina. And, yeah, I guess that's one word for it." Mina always made mistakes like that, which were a little disconcerting because she spoke with a perfect American accent. She claimed to have been brought up in another country but she always changed the subject when I asked her precisely where.

"Don't do it, Serena. Never...you should never let someone intimidate you into doing something you don't want to. You end up losing everything that way. Who cares if you lose your job? I can help you out until you find something else, you know."

She stared at me imploringly, and for a second I actually thought she might cry. I felt--as I often felt around Mina--that I was only getting half the picture. Sure, going out with Harvey was probably a bad idea, but what did it remind her of that made her feel so strongly about it?

I sat down next to her. "Hey, thanks Mina. I didn't know you cared--I'm joking," I said when she started to look hurt. You know what? You're right. I shouldn't give in to that toad. When he comes by here I'm going to tell him exactly what I think of him."

I stood up and was about to close my closet when I caught a glimpse of my old pink boxers lying on the floor. The events of last night had seemed like such a dream that I actually hadn't remembered until this moment Petunia's unbelievably generous offer.

"I am such an idiot!" I started laughing uncontrollably and tossed myself down on my bed, scattering books.

"You sure seem happy about it," Mina said. "But what, in particular, are you an idiot about this time?"

"I won't have to borrow money from you. I already have a job."

---------------------

By the time Harvey pulled in front of the house, I was ready for him. I sauntered down the driveway, deliberately tacky in my worn, holey jeans and pink tank top.

His frown was full of paternalistic disappointment, like I was a child who had told a dirty joke at the dinner table.

"Why are you dressed like that? Serena, I told you we were going someplace nice."

I shrugged. "Oh, did you? I wasn't paying attention. Good thing you're dressed so...handsomely, then."

His jaw tightened. "Go back inside and change. I'll wait."

I started to laugh. He actually thought he had some sort of hold over me. "Oh, no need to wait, Harvey, _dear_. I'm not going."

"Not going? Serena, do you understand what you're doing? You job is at stake. We must discuss these...issues, and if you don't go out with me tonight--and on a regular basis--I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you on as junior manager."

Despite everything, the sheer audacity of what he was saying made me breathless. "You mean you'll fire me if I don't agree to go out with you?"

"That's putting it a little harshly, but, um, yes."

"I just had to make sure. Well, Harvey, my answer is unequivocally no. Under no circumstances would I ever agree to go out with a scumbag like you, even if yours was the last job on earth. You are a creep and a scoundrel. You're lucky that I don't sue you for sexual harassment. You have no right, doing this to me, making my life miserable just because you're desperate and want a girl to make you feel good about yourself."

Harvey stared at me in shock, and then glanced towards the doorway, where Mina was doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

Jerkily, he walked back over to the driver's side and shoved his bulk back into the car. "Are you sure about this, Serena?" he asked.

Mina's laughter was infectious, and I found it difficult to stop long enough to answer. "Does the pope shit in the woods? Wait--let me rephrase that."

But he was already tearing down the street, his very exhaust fumes radiating injured pride.

---------------------

I wandered around the neighborhood for a few hours afterwards. I felt free, and the feeling was delicious. Finally, no more chicken hats, no more disgusting, horny managers. Now I could enjoy myself, and have more money to boot. A small part of me felt guilty for treating Harvey so badly, but when I reminded it of what he had done to me, it fell silent. In a fit of impulsiveness, I took off my shoes and began to run down the sidewalk to the evident amusement of fellow pedestrians. I laughed joyously, tossing my hands in the air to catch the late evening breezes.

When I made it back to my street, I wondered if I should just go home, but decided against it. At the moment, I felt magical, and I wanted a few more minutes of it. My eyes fell on Petunia's house, and I remembered my promise to stop by today.

I walked over and knocked on the door, wondering if my hand was really glowing or if it was just my imagination. Petunia opened it a crack and stuck her head through. When she saw me, she opened it all the way, her eyes widening. For some reason, it seemed strange that anything should surprise her, and yet both times she had seen me her reaction had been similar.

"Minako?" she asked, seemingly angry about something.

"Huh?" I said, staring at her a little askance.

"Oh, Serena!" she exclaimed, her body visibly sagging in relief. "I'm so sorry, I just mistook you for someone else, that's all. Come in!"

I walked in, surreptitiously wiping my bare feet on the welcome mat. I didn't want to drag twenty blocks of city streets through her gorgeous house. I noticed that the otherwise white marble of her floor had been overlaid with a curious pattern--a deep purple circle inscribed with a pentagon with lines from each of its points all converging in the exact center of the foyer. My feet carried me, almost involuntarily, to that intersection and I stood there, arms by my side, and my feet planted firmly on the marble. I couldn't explain it, but I felt a power in that spot. I closed my eyes for a moment, drinking it in. I could feel a glow permeating my body. Finally, aware of Petunia's presence behind me, I opened my eyes and fell into a more relaxed position. I turned around to look at her, a sheepish smile on my face. Something in her quizzical expression told me that she knew exactly what I had been doing--probably better than I myself did. She said nothing, however, and merely led the way to her library. We passed through her living room on the way and I quickly glanced around to see if there were any more pictures by the nameless virtuoso, but I was disappointed.

The library was magnificent--practically embodying a reader's every romantic dream. It was huge, about five hundred square feet, and paneled with dark mahogany boards. Every inch of the walls was covered with books and papers. Books littered the floor and countertops. There were two old chairs in the corners and a magnificent West African table made of balsa wood in the center. Behind the table was a very comfortable-looking large suede couch. Several of the books looked old enough to be in a museum, and a quick perusal of the titles revealed that several were in an entirely different language. Petunia made her way to the desk set in front of a bay window. She ostentatiously pulled the key from behind the bookcase on her left, unlocked the bottom drawer, and replaced the key, ignoring me so studiously that I wondered if she meant for me to note where she hid it.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I'll be gone for a month, maybe more, so I thought that I'd give you an advance on your salary. It's only fair, don't you think?" As a matter of fact, I thought that it was more than fair--more along the lines of completely ludicrous--but it was all I could do to nod my head dumbly, staring at the wad of bills she held so carelessly in her hand. "Is $2000 dollars all right? If you need more I can get some--"

"No, no! That's fantastic!" I said quickly. My hand shook as she counted the bills into my palm. I thought I would faint from mere joy.

"Now," she said, businesslike, once she had finished. "You have to feed the cats twice a day. I left instructions in the kitchen. Only one lives here, and the other three stop by for visits. Now, if anyone brings you mice or anything else, don't be rude, just calmly explain to him that you don't eat those sorts of things, and then offer him one of my special kitty treats. We don't want to offend them, now do we?"

"Um...no?" So I knew she was eccentric, but this was more than I had bargained for. Still, the cash was in my hand, and I was not one to complain. I could talk to a couple of cats if necessary. After all, I thought wryly, cats would probably be a lot better company than Harvey.

"Oh, and feel free to use the library. I know how big a reader you are."

She did? I wondered how, since I had never told her, and up until yesterday I hadn't seen her except from across the street.

"Well, that's everything, I think. Oh, and I hope you wouldn't mind dusting in here every once and a while. The library tends to get _so_ dusty, for some reason."

"That's no problem," I said. I could not believe that I was getting so much for doing so little work. I would have cleaned out her entire house, top to bottom, gladly for what she was paying me. And use of this entire library? The very thought intoxicated me with longing. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get her out of here. Petunia, obviously having decided that the meeting was over, led me back to the front hallway, and I contented myself with the knowledge that I would be able to examine the entire house in depth over the next month.

"Oh Serena, just one more thing. Could you help me carry my stuff to the car tomorrow morning? I'm getting too old to carry it all."

I looked at her critically. Something in her demeanor, despite her eccentric middle-aged appearance, belied all imitation at frailty. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Sure, that's fine," I said. After all, what harm could it do? I was probably overanalyzing the situation anyway.

The funny thing, though, is that I wasn't.

---------------------

The next day I left a sleeping Mina in our apartment and entered the crisp early-morning air to help Petunia. I couldn't remember if she had told me a specific time, so I had just woken up as early as my poor late-rising body could handle--about 8:00 AM. I was relieved when I saw her car in the driveway--a car that small, that old and that _pink_ is hard to miss. It was a beautiful day anyway, so I didn't mind having to wait around a little bit. I settled on the doorstep and leaned my back against the door. Petunia must have forgotten to close it all the way, because it swung inward and I sprawled backwards into the foyer. I stood up quickly and looked around to see if Petunia was there, but I was alone with her luggage. I stood there awkwardly for a moment before I heard what sounded like mumbling coming from the library.

Intending to let Petunia know I was here, I walked forward. Petunia had left the library door open, so I figured she must have seen me coming, but when I reached the door I saw that she was bent over the desk, muttering to herself. I wondered if I should clear my throat or knock but curiosity held me back. She seemed to be rifling through a large orange carpetbag full of books. After discarding several, she picked one bound in faded black leather with some silver on the front. I watched in partial horror and confusion as she flipped through it and ripped a page out. I wondered what reason she could have to deface a book that beautiful, but she had already replaced the book in the carpetbag. Now she took, of all things, a pencil from the top drawer and bent over the paper with it, muttering something completely incomprehensible and then scribbling on the page. After ten minutes she seemed to have finished and straightened. She replaced the pencil and, without any point I could see, carefully placed the sheet of paper in the bottom drawer and locked it. As she turned to put the key back behind the shelf, she saw me. I jumped a little, blushing in embarrassment. Petunia didn't even blink.

"Oh, you're here," she said conversationally. "I didn't hear you come in. Well, let's get started, shall we?" She hefted the overstuffed carpetbag--patterned, I could see now, with bright orange flowers and peace signs--and toddled past me. I trailed her back to the foyer. Her luggage, stacked against the back wall of the foyer, consisted of two huge trunks and several miscellaneous bags of varying sizes lying about. I stared at the assemblage in horror. How could we possibly fit all of this into that little bug?

"How long are you staying away, again?" I asked, still eyeing the luggage.

"Oh, I don't know. More than a month, less than a year." I stared at her, but refrained from comment.

After some considerable straining and a small miracle, we managed to pack most of her luggage in the car. There seemed to be a distinct backward tilt to the vehicle, but I figured it would last the trip to the airport. For some reason, Petunia insisted on carrying the carpetbag by herself to the car even though it couldn't close fully and looked inhumanly heavy. Sure enough, she tripped on the sidewalk, and some of the books spilled out of the bag. I rushed to her side, at least as concerned about the contents of the bag as I was for her.

"Petunia, are you all right?" I asked while my eyes raked the ground greedily for the titles she carried. I discovered nothing particularly interesting, at first.

"Don't worry," she said, sitting up slowly. "I'm fine. Let's pick up these books." It was when I began to stack them back in the bag that I recognized the book she had torn the page from. The silver that I had vaguely seen from the doorway was actually a series of six embossed circles inscribed on the cover, with a golden circle in the middle. What little I could see of the writing was clearly not English. It reminded me of Chinese or Japanese characters. I wondered what it was, but almost immediately after I received that glimpse, Petunia snatched it up, looking at me with an unreadable expression. Finally, we were up again, and I placed the bag very carefully in the front seat of her car.

"Now, final items of business," she said, ineffectually running her hand over her frizzy hair. "Here is the house key." She handed it to me. "If I'm gone any longer than a month and haven't contacted you, you can call this number. It ought to tell you how to reach me, wherever I am." She handed me a card with a number based in Switzerland-- or at least of an office within the Swiss bank. "Well, that's about it," she said, smiling.

"I can't thank you enough for letting me do this--"

"Oh, it's nothing at all. You're doing _me_ a favor," she said, patting me on the shoulder. I just stood on the front steps as she got inside the car. She started the engine, and I raised my hand to wave goodbye to her. At the last moment, she leaned out the window. She said something, but the rumble of a motor that was sadly out of repair made her words inaudible.

"What's that?" I said.

"Don't disappear until I come back!"

"Huh?"

"Don't forget to feed the cats," she said again, this time more clearly. I frowned slightly, and nodded, choking in the exhaust fumes as the old car puffed down the street towards Dulles airport.

---------------------

The next day passed in what I suppose you could call a flurry of uneventfulness. I woke up blissfully late, ate a leisurely breakfast, and then passed the rest of my day in a meticulous raid of Petunia's house. I searched everywhere for more pictures by the nameless artist who had painted the watercolor in the foyer. I almost felt consumed with the power of the painting, but despite my exhaustive efforts, I could find none others in the house. I felt unexpectedly depressed as I stood in front of the painting again, but I made a resolution in some strange, shadowy part of my brain that I would find this painter somehow, no matter how long it took.

Plaintive meows emanated from the kitchen, and I belatedly remembered that Petunia had mentioned something about feeding her cats. Although Petunia had already told me their names and shown me precisely what to feed them, the instructions were also taped to the refrigerator. A fact for which I was suddenly grateful, once I stepped into the kitchen and saw the brood that awaited my services. Pump--short for Pumpkin--was a formidable tabby with several scars in his yellow-orange fur that bespoke an ability to take care of himself. The cat sitting next to him on the counter was much smaller, much uglier, and at least as tough as old Pump. Cleo's fur was an indescribable mix, ranging from pure white to gray-blue. According to Petunia, Cleo and Pump were almost always together, although what possessed them to share the company of Jeannie, the third cat, I could not possibly fathom. Manicured, pampered and purebred, Jeannie the Persian was the only one of the cats to have a permanent indoor residency. Cleo and Pump didn't care much what they ate, but the Jeannie's cat food probably cost more than a fancy steak dinner at a French restaurant. A fourth cat sat in the kitchen as well, looking as though it fully expected a meal although I couldn't recall Petunia ever mentioning him. He was pure white, medium sized, with a surprising glint of intelligence in his blue eyes. While I didn't think he was mixed, I was hard pressed to name a breed. Then I noticed the circle of blue fur on his forehead, and I finally recognized him.

"Artemis!" I leaned down and pat him gently on the head. "Geez, you little freeloader! I wondered where you went after you got sick of Mina's pampering. All the way across the street, huh? Wow, you must really have it tough." For a strange moment I had the distinct impression that Artemis was embarrassed, because he shrunk under my hand. "Oh well, I forgive you. So, what's your pleasure?" I asked, opening the cabinet and gesturing towards the various cat foods. Artemis jumped up on the counter and walked purposefully towards the specialty brand that Jeannie ate.

I smiled. "Spoiled brat."

After all the cats had been fed and were sunning themselves lazily on the back porch, I decided it was time to see the library. I paused a minute in the doorway to take in the beauty of the books. Here was heaven, handed to me on a silver platter. I let out an excited whoop of delight and raced inside. My enthusiasm received a check, however, when I realized that over half of the books were in same not-quite-Japanese that I had seen earlier. Sighing, I peeled myself away from the strange books and looked around for anything else that looked interesting. I walked to the balsa wood table in the middle of the room, wondering why it was suddenly so uncluttered when it had been buried in books yesterday night. In fact, the only things left on the table were a cardboard box filled with some paperbacks and a small, leather-bound book in the center of the table.

Despite myself, my heart raced as I reached for it--while it clearly couldn't have been the book Petunia was looking at this morning, it bore an uncanny resemblance to it. Embossed on the worn leather cover was a single silver circle. I don't know what I had been expecting, but I was unreasonably disappointed when I opened it and found nothing--not even strange writing, just page after blank page. It looked like some kind of journal, but why would Petunia clean up her entire library and leave a journal in the middle of the table? The only writing of any kind was on the inside cover, in the form of an inscription written, surprisingly enough, in perfectly intelligible modern-day English. It read:

---------------------

Beyond the Mirror lies the Lady's key

You who hold this: write, so unseen eyes can see.

---------------------

The meter is a little skewed, I thought.

I closed the book and put it back on the table. My curiosity was finally satisfied, however, when I peeked into the box and discovered Petunia's stash of trashy romance novels.

Several hours later, buried neck deep in cliché-spouting heroes and languishing, though sharp-tongued, heroines, I glanced at the clock. Four already? I stretched, and reluctantly contemplated getting up. Mina had asked me to run to the store and get some wine and hors d'oeuvres for an intimate dinner she was planning with her latest fling--a stock broker named Englebert, or something equally ridiculous. I looked back at the book I was reading. Well, I ought to just finish the chapter, I thought, Mina won't mind.

Then I heard an ear-piercing screech, thin but plaintive, like a ghost screaming for revenge. The book fell from my suddenly shaking hands, and I looked around, terrified. I was alone...except for Artemis.

"Don't you ever do that again! You scared the shit out of me!" I was still struggling to control my breathing. Not looking repentant at all, Artemis meowed loudly at the clock.

"What are you, my keeper?" I said. "How'd you get in here, anyway? Fine, all right, I get the picture, I'm going to get the stuff, I promise." Artemis looked appeased, and I sighed in relief. I opened the door and stalked out, trailed by a particularly persistent white cat. It seemed almost as though Artemis knew I had promised Mina to get the food. He expressed every intention of tailing me to the supermarket, and I stared at him critically.

"You know, maybe I can serve her kitty fritters for appetizers instead of bothering with the supermarket--" I covered my ears at the volume of Artemis's wail, and then laughed. "Serves you right, you little busybody."

Despite my protests, Artemis nipped my heels on the way to the grocery store and back home. I thought he would follow me inside the apartment, but it looked like he had decided his work was done for the day, and took himself off without so much as a goodbye. I might have had time to consider his extremely disconcerting behavior had Mina not attacked me the moment I entered the door, leaden down with groceries.

"Oh, Serena!" she said, not offering to help me bring the bags into the kitchen. "Where have you _been_! Engie's going to be here any minute now!" At the sound of her pet name, I almost died of laughter.

"What are you sniggering at?"

"He has such and _awful_ name!" I said, unable to stop myself. "I mean, almost anything would have been better. Even Barney, or Mortimer, or...or...Herman!" I started laughing again, but stopped short when I noticed the stricken expression on Mina's face.

"Herman..." she whispered, her hand over her mouth. Her eyes suddenly clouded with tears and she ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

---------------------

Mina quickly recovered from her unexplained bout of female hysterics, and emerged from her bedroom perfectly composed and immaculately dressed.

"What's that smell?" Mina asked, her nose high in the air. I shrugged my shoulders, too busy trying to decide if Worstechire sauce would be a decent substitute for molasses.

"It smells like something is...burning! Serena...you didn't?" She asked.

"Didn't what?"

Now that I thought about it, there _was_ an interesting smell in the air.

A brief flare of light in the oven finally alerted her. "The fish!" she wailed, running towards the now-smoking range. "My beautiful fish! Serena, how could you? You know that you can't cook!"

"But...but...I thought I'd save you some time...and..."

Mina looked like a vengeful goddess, her hands wrapped in oven mitts, holding a pan of unidentifiable charred black bits in front of her.

"You do not cook fish at five hundred degrees--"

"But you said you were running late, so I thought--"

"...under_any_ circumstances! What are you making over there?"

"Well..." I said, moving surreptitiously to hide the Worstechire sauce.

"Never mind. I don't want to know. I might get an ulcer. Before I say something that I regret..." She shook the tin of charred fish for emphasis, and I winced. God, but that smelled awful. Couldn't she just dump it in the sink instead of waving it under of my nose?

"Get out of my house."

"But it's not your--"  
"Get _out_ and don't come back until Engie has left!"

I opened my mouth to argue, and then shut it. I had obviously been outvoted. Trying to bear my shame bravely, I walked to my room, grabbed my pajamas, and stalked out of the house. Mina's angry blue eyes bored into my back on the way out.

So much for a pleasant evening at home.

---------------------

Jeannie greeted me with consummate politeness at the door. She purred with the force of a broken carburetor while rubbing her nose on my pants leg.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" I said. I looked around, but Artemis was nowhere in sight. Probably a good tactical maneuver, considering my mood. I allowed Jeannie to lead me to the kitchen. Pump and Cleo hadn't made an appearance for dinner either, it seemed. I fed Jeannie perfunctorily, and then sat at the counter myself, trying not to feel too angry with Mina for kicking me out. She always got like that when a member of the opposite sex was involved.

I sighed. Outside, storm clouds darkened the sky prematurely, a fitting reflection of my mood. I stared into space for nearly an hour, and when I came to, Jeannie had disappeared and the first fat raindrops were splattering against the windows. I thought of settling in the library again, but my jaw-cracking yawn made me think I ought to just give up on the day entirely and go to sleep.

I undid my braid, grabbed my pajamas and trudged desultorily up the stairs. I hoped that Petunia kept a spare bedroom, but the only other rooms upstairs were a bathroom, a linen closet, and two locked doors. I wondered why she had left her bedroom door wide open, but understood as soon as I entered that sanctuary. Jeannie was sleeping, her furry, overweight mass sprawled across the queen size bed. It looked sinfully comfortable, I just hoped Petunia wouldn't mind if I slept on her bed.

Outside, a storm raged, rain pelting the windows and the wind howling through the trees. My growling stomach seemed to be performing counterpoint to the thunder, so I headed back downstairs to the kitchen. Petunia had some delectable goodies sitting in her fridge, and I couldn't let all of that perfectly good ice cream go to waste.

I was throwing away the container when the power went out. I tried to whirl around, but the edge of the sink got in my way. I gripped my stomach and cursed. This day just wasn't working out properly at all, I thought as I bumped my way out of the kitchen, trying to find an alternate light source. After considerable bumbling, tripping and cursing, I found a candle nearly as fat as my fist and some matches hidden behind the cat food. I looked outside, wishing that the rain would let up so that the power could come back on, but it only poured harder. After I lit the candle, I had to shield my eyes from the suddenly bright flame.

The flickering light did make everything look a little eerie, though, and the storm outside didn't help the atmosphere. I felt like I had somehow wandered onto the set of a bad horror movie. Any second now the killer was going to call...I screamed, rather loudly, when Pump and Cleo scuttled into the kitchen. Save for a condescending glance, however, they ignored me entirely. Taking a deep breath, I managed to make it back to Petunia's room without mishap.

Jeannie, if it was possible, had taken up more of the bed than before. Almost as if in anticipation of my designs, she had stretched her ponderous feline body to its limits, sprawled at precisely the angle to allow me the least use.

"Move, Jeannie," I said, trying to push her over without dripping wax all over the bed. She meowed, swiped at me with a delicate paw, and did not move an inch. "Jeannie, please be nice." A hint of desperation entered my voice. My day just couldn't possibly be this bad. Kicked out of a bed by a cat? I refuse!

"Jeannie!" This time my request was accompanied by a helpful push across the bed. She screeched, but as far as I could tell, she still hadn't moved. From the coiled tension in her raised paw, I had a feeling she would hit me with those untrimmed claws if I tried it again and I was too tired to duke it out with a pampered feline.

"Fine, have it your way," I said. If this day was going to be bad, I thought philosophically, there was nothing to stop it from being awful. I raided Petunia's linen closet for sheets and brought them downstairs to the couch in the library. I set up my "bed" as well as I could, careful to avoid setting anything on fire with the candle. I sat on the edge of the couch, placing the candle on the balsa wood table. I wondered if I should just go to sleep, when a glint of reflected candlelight caught my eye. It was the blank book that I had found earlier that afternoon, still on the table where I left it.

I picked it up and fingered the embossed circle on the front. Although I knew the pages were blank, I wished it were as mysterious as I had hoped it might be. For a moment that afternoon I had really been excited. I lay back on the couch, wondering why I felt such a strange attachment to it. Idly I opened the book again, and what I saw nearly made me drop it.

Although every page had been blank a few hours earlier, the first few pages were now filled with the unintelligible characters I had seen in Petunia's other books. But while the others had been clearly printed, this, just as clearly, was someone's handwriting. It even looked like fresh ink. My heart was racing and my head felt so woozy for a moment I was afraid I might faint. All my sense of logic rebelled against this, but my eyes persisted in seeing handwriting. I had locked all the doors before I left, and even if someone _had_ broken in, why would they do nothing more than write strange characters in a blank book and leave? I wondered if perhaps I had missed the writing earlier, but I knew it wasn't true. I definitely would have noticed this.

With hands shaking so badly I could barely manage it, I turned the pages. It looked, if anything, like some sort of journal entry.

Then I noticed something strange appearing on the back of one page. Even as I watched, an unknown hand scribbled across the previously pristine surface. Now I could barely breathe. Shock was the only thing keeping me from dropping the book.

The writing was in English. Each page of the unknown language was being translated for me, by whose or what power I could not begin to guess. I quickly turned to the next few pages, and saw that they were being translated as well. After the last word was translated, the original text faded, leaving only the words I could understand on the back of each page. It took several minutes of staring blankly at the book, but I finally managed to regain some semblance of calm.

I opened the book to the first page, unsure of what to expect, but excited all the same.

---------------------

The 6th day of the Horse moon:

I don't even know how I got involved. Well, I know, but even now it seems like some sort of delusion. I've avoided doing this, writing in the book, the Lady's journal. The emperor--the late emperor--gave this to me before he died. The plague, of course. These days it's either the plague or the sword, never something comforting, like old age or even honorable, like ritual suicide. He said he was my father. I don't know if I believe him, and yet if I don't believe him what am I doing here, in this forest, on a quest I'm half-convinced will kill me before I'm even half-way there? Gods, why would the Emperor have traveled all the way to the microscopic fishing village of Asai, struggled to stay alive so he could speak to stupid, confused, lonely me and then die on Mother's bed? These are the questions I ask myself away from Ashitare and Genro. They don't know what went on between me and the Emperor and I have no desire to tell them. Even if I am his son by blood, it changes nothing of what I am, and perhaps I would have taken on this duty regardless. The only thing the knowledge would change is their perception of me, and I believe that would be intolerable.

But the book. I can't get away from the thing, and for whatever reason, I have to write in it. It says so in the inscription, after all: "You who hold this, write..." Oh, the Lady's sense of humor is legendary, but I had never expected to be a first-hand victim of it. The whole land, the whole country, even the southernmost islands are slowly dying under the curse of the Kojin's plague and she does nothing! Well, that's not exactly true. How can I claim she does nothing when no one can find her? Which is why I'm here. I, Ashitare and Genro have left our dying village to try to find the Lady, perhaps the only one who can save us all from the Kojin. The Emperor promised me this book would lead me to her, but I wonder how. The inscription is so little to go on, and yet I have no other choice. My training at the monastery prepared me for fighting, not riddle-solving. The three of us have done the best we could, of course. We are heading towards Jin-roh, the Mirror city. It seems the best answer to the second half of the riddle. The fastest way is through the Fugira pass in the Iru mountains, but Ashitare worries that we'll be too vulnerable there. I see his point, but Genro and I agree that avoiding the mountains by water would take too long. The longer we take, the more people die.

I don't know what else to write in this damn thing. How can it matter? I'm just losing more sleep talking to myself.

Mamoru

---------------------

I fell asleep with the book tucked securely against my chest, dreaming of foreign men in an alien world.

---------------------

I was not surprised to see Engelbert's car still parked outside that morning. Clearly, last night Mina had gotten precisely what she wanted. This was not unusual. What made me grin was the knowledge that, for once, so had I. Today my head was filled with thoughts of the innocent-looking little book, tucked safely under my arm as I let myself into the apartment.

The kitchen was a disaster area. It seemed, from the debris, that Mina had gotten started a little earlier than she had originally intended. The remains of my burnt fish and the apple pie that she had baked herself lay strewn across the counter and the floor. I followed the trail of pie fillings to Mina's bedroom, where the sounds of heavy snoring still emanated. I avoided the mess ruefully, grateful at least that my room had been spared. I grabbed some casual clothes and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

As I lathered my hair I thought more about what I had read last night. In the clear early-morning light, my experience seemed less bizarre and more exciting. What exactly had I read? Who was this Mamoru, and what world had I been given a glimpse into? Although I knew that my own curiosity had driven me to find the book, I couldn't help but feel that someone, somewhere, had orchestrated this whole thing, and that I had played my part perfectly. Perhaps Petunia is behind this, I thought, remembering her enigmatic looks and comments. She certainly had some involvement with this other world. Most of the books in her library, in fact, were from there. There were a million questions I wanted to ask her, but unfortunately Petunia was god-knows-where, so I was on my own for now.

Mamoru intrigued me. What kind of man would take on a task as daunting as his, with the clear knowledge that he had no chance of survival if caught by this seemingly all-powerful enemy? I wondered what he looked like. Ruggedly handsome, hopefully, with powerful arms, and large, well-defined hands...

"Serena! Are you in there?"

I dropped the soap. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be out in a minute."

I was changing when I remembered that I had left the book lying on my bed in plain sight. I don't know why, but I had a sudden irrational fear that if I left it alone for another second, I would never see it again. I ran to my bedroom, wet hair still dripping, and found Mina sitting on the foot of my bed, the book in her hands. Her eyes held a curious expression, much more serious than I had often seen her.

"Give that back!" I said, quickly pulling it from her grasp.

"What is it, Serena?" she asked with a strange intensity.

I opened my mouth to answer, but thought better of it. She would think I was crazy, and I didn't really want to share this with anyone. I was afraid that if I told someone the spell would be broken, and I would lose my chance for adventure. Thankfully, however, Artemis saved me the trouble of responding. He appeared almost as if by magic in my bedroom, meowing to Mina insistently. She left, but it almost seemed as if he had nosed her out of the bedroom. Just before he left, he glanced at me with a disturbingly perceptive gaze.

Two hours later, after Mina had left and cleaned up the apple pie, I went to my room and pulled out my Tae Kwon Do uniform--a physical workout might relieve some of my pent-up energy, at any rate. Artemis knelt on the edge of the living room, looking as though he had every intention of watching me practice. I took this at face value, not wanting to really consider the implications of Artemis's intelligent blue-eyed gaze.

For the next two hours I kicked and punched my way to physical exhaustion, which did a great deal for my mental state. Throughout the entire practice, Artemis regarded me with the same appraising stare. I found myself performing harder kicks and forcing myself past my old limits just to impress him. It was ridiculous, of course, but then, so was reading journal entries written by some man from another universe. Finally, touching the borders of total exhaustion, I showered again.

I wandered around our kitchen for a while, opening and closing the fridge without taking anything out. I was too nervous to eat. Finally, I sat on the couch and turned on the television. I couldn't tell you what show I watched, because my brain had ceased to function. One can only keep up a fever pitch of emotional intensity for so long. I dimly noted Mina's return to our apartment, but nothing else seemed to register until ten o'clock. I checked the book again automatically, and closed it abruptly when I saw new writing. Mina's eyes were glued to the television, and she barely grunted in acknowledgement when I told her I was going to Petunia's for a few hours. I practically ran across the street, making it to the library just in time to close the door on Artemis. Panting with my back against the doorway, I opened the book, glad that the translation had already had time to finish.

---------------------

The Seventh day of the Horse moon:

Someone knows where we are and suspects what we're doing. I don't want it to be the Kojin, but I can't imagine who else it could be. Gods, but did he have to get so close this soon? Why not after we make it through the Fugira pass? Ashitare's right, convenient though it may be, we don't have a prayer of defending ourselves up there against a well-planned ambush. But it will take too long to go by sea and at this time of year, who knows what the winds will do? I've gone over this a thousand times in my mind, but I can't seem to see a way out.

The five men who attacked us today were masked and hooded as some of the masterless _ronin_, but only very unusual _ronin_ would ride such fine Hokusai stallions or wield any weapons at all, let alone both short sword and long sword. In fact, it seems quite clear that they have a master and I wish I couldn't guess who that is. We escaped, but I think too easily. I have an immediate distrust of any enemy who does not make an honest attempt to kill me. It generally means they have even less pleasant things in mind.

Like killing us in two days when we reach the Fugira pass.

I have been trying to understand what purpose this journal may serve, but no answer has presented itself. I thought, at first, that perhaps the Lady read what I wrote, but if she did, she would know what is happening to Umeru, and I cannot believe that she would abandon us to this fate. I can't shake the feeling, though, that _someone_ is reading this, somewhere. There is always a possibility that this journal is a trick of the Kojin, but I suppose that that is a risk I must take. In two more days will reach the pass. I only hope that we will survive whatever awaits us there. But, then again, no one ever told me this would be easy.

Mamoru.

---------------------

Another day passed much like the previous. I even washed, starched and ironed my Tae Kwon Do, much to the amusement of Master Mehra when I went to practice that evening. After I returned home I didn't even bother to shower before reading the third entry.

---------------------

The Eighth day of the Horse moon:

---------------------

Things are too peaceful. I kept glancing over my shoulder all day to make sure we weren't being followed, but I still can't shake the feeling. I wonder if the Kojin is somehow tracing us, but I have no defense against his magic. For all I know, he's managed to tap into the power of the seventh moon. I should pray not. If he has, we're doomed from the start.

Maybe my fears are unfounded, though. It's possible that those who attacked us yesterday were just _ronin_ looking for a fight and no one associated with the Kojin has caught up with us or knows where we are going. Ashitare, Genro and I are still agreed on the Fugira pass, but they are just as worried. I came up with a plan in case something actually does happen, but I pray it won't.

It scares me, sometimes, when I think about how many people are depending on us--and most of them don't even know it. Sometimes I'm terrified that the future of Umeru lies in our ability to find the Lady. And that makes me want to curse the Lady for putting us all in this position in the first place, for disappearing when everyone needs her.You, whoever you are reading this, besides myself, pray we don't all get killed in a few days.

Mamoru

---------------------

It occurred to me I was no longer content with just reading about his adventures. If there were no entry tomorrow, then I would know that something had happened to him, but what? I didn't want to be a spectator. I didn't quite understand his mission or his world, but I understood his danger. But how could I help him? Somehow Petunia had bridged that gap between our two worlds, but I certainly wasn't Petunia and the woman herself was unavailable for questioning.

For lack of anything better to do, I went back across the street to Petunia's and fed the cats, all four of whom were waiting in the kitchen when I arrived. Then I went to foyer and started pacing, first tracing the path of the marble circle and then going from point to point on the pentagram. I continued this until my bruises from that night's practice started aching and I sat down in the middle of the floor, where the lines from the pentagram corners converged. I still had no ideas.

My cross-legged position on the floor, however, did remind me of something Master Mehra always told us. You never find answers by pushing for answers, he said, you find answers by listening to them. Which had always sounded a little nonsensical to me, but at this point I was willing to try anything. Placing my hands on top of my knees, I dropped into meditation with automatic ease and hoped that my need to help Mamoru would send me the right answers.

_Listen_, Serena, I told myself. Stop talking and just listen.

And then, almost as though I had invited them in, images began to appear in my mind. I sank into as deep a level of meditation as I had ever been. I was hardly aware of my surroundings except for the knowledge of the power that buffered me. I was sailing down a passageway, floating bodiless past countless closed doors until I stopped in front of one. Slowly, the door opened and I stepped inside.

I stood in a darkened room, well kept, but not sumptuous. The muffled sounds of a large crowd came through the floor. Blinds had been pulled over the windows, and the only light came from three torches against the walls. Rice mats covered the floor, and a low table stood in the center of the room, surrounded by ten men kneeling on pillows. They all wore slightly curved swords on their backs, and black clothing. A large map lay in the middle of the table, which appeared to be the center of a heated discussion. I moved in closer, and saw that it was a map of a large island, probably part of an archipelago. I stood near the table, wondering why no one noticed me. Whatever language they were speaking wasn't English, but I gradually began to understand them anyway. The black-clad man at the head of the table spoke in a mild voice, but his narrowed black eyes, misshapen nose and bloodless lips spoke of violence.

"They will be at their most vulnerable in the Fugira pass. We do not know what aid the Lady has given them, but with the honorable Kojin's protection and our superior numbers, our victory is assured regardless. The ground is treacherous and narrow, allowing them no room for maneuvering or escape. The Kojin has given me an amulet that will magically block the only possible escape route on the west side." He pointed to the map. "Your job will be simple. Allow them to enter on their own, surround them, take them captive. You may hurt them, but not too seriously. Under no circumstances are they to be killed!" He looked around the room silently, and the torchlight flickered in his beady black eyes. The men lowered their gazes and shifted uncomfortably.

"Rest assured the Kojin will reward you handsomely," he said.

I sucked in my breath. Of course I knew what they were talking about. They _knew_ what Mamoru was doing. He had no chance of escape; these ten men would easily capture him and his friends, and I had no idea what these men planned to do with them afterwards.

"Any questions?" the man asked.

After a moment, one man cleared his throat reluctantly. "The horse-moon is a lucky time for warriors, Ushiro-sama...could we not wait until the rabbit?"

The man shrunk under the leader's scornful gaze. "Who would you rather believe? Out-of-date superstitions, or the power of the Kojin? We have no time to lose. Leave now if you want no part of the rewards." At some unseen signal, the men bowed and rose from the table. Even as they did so, I felt the scene fading.

---------------------

My eyes snapped open. For a disconcerting moment, I could not remember where I was, but soon things settled into place. God, but that had been so real! Could I really have been in the middle of the foyer this entire time? Artemis was rubbing his nose insistently against my fingers. He looked worried, so I rubbed his head.

I considered what I had had just learned and my stomach knotted. I had to save him. Somehow, I had to warn Mamoru about what was happening. Even if it took more time, he would have to go by sea around the mountains to avoid the ambush. It occurred to me that my experience might have just been a product of an over-active imagination desperate for adventure. As soon as the thought occurred, however, I dismissed it. The diary wasn't a dream, and the meeting had been too realistic and detailed in too many places. I knew nothing about this culture, and I could not have confabulated that entire scene, I was sure of it.

Which meant that I had to take action. I took two minutes to scribble out a note to Mina, informing her that I would be away for a few days and not to worry. I went across the street and slid it under the door so I could avoid any awkward questions Mina would ask. As I entered Petunia's house again, I noticed Artemis trailing me. I didn't even bother to wonder why he was there. Once inside, I paused and took a few necessary moments to calm my breathing.

Obviously, I had to warn Mamoru. Which meant that I had to somehow get to his world. The only problem was, I had no idea how to do that. I was pacing the pentagram again, thinking about Petunia and any clues she might have given me, when I remembered the strange scene in the library. At the time I had just figured she was muttering garbled English, but now it seemed far more likely that she had been speaking in another language. She had been scribbling something on a piece of paper, I remembered, and she had put it in a drawer. The same drawer she had almost ostentatiously shown me how to unlock the day she paid me. Suddenly everything clicked into place. If there was a way I could travel to Mamoru's world, it would in the library, in that drawer and probably on that sheet of paper.

I wondered, as I took the key from behind the left hand bookshelf and opened the bottom drawer, whether I had suspected all along that Petunia was a witch. I wondered if she had set me up.

Artemis paced in a circle beside me, periodically meowing.

"Don't worry, Artemis. I know what I'm doing." I said, more to comfort myself than him. In fact, I had no clue, but I refused to let such trivialities get in my way.

The drawer opened easily, and I felt Artemis crawl into my lap so that he could look inside as well. The contents were, as I had expected, quite messy, but the torn page sat on top. Artemis peered inside and then gave me a look that I half suspected was disbelief.

"You did not just raise your eyebrows, did you? Right, that's funny since cats don't even _have_ eyebrows."

Artemis let out a meow that sounded a bit too much like a chuckle and bounded off my lap.

Shrugging my shoulders, I picked up the paper and closed the drawer. I experienced a brief moment of panic when I realized that it was not written in English, not even in the not-quite-Japanese characters of Mamoru's world, but then I noticed that English translations had been penciled in underneath.

"She translated it!" I picked up Artemis in my enthusiasm, but he yowled his displeasure and I quickly put him back down again. Standing up, I turned on the desk lamp, and put the paper underneath the light.

At the top, scribbled below the characters, I read: "Short term teleport between worlds; rating: novice." Great, I thought, easy was just my style. I scanned further. "This spell will last exactly one day from the time of casting, and then will return the caster to his native world. Beware, embedded spells, like the embedded language spell, have been known to have extremely dangerous and unpredictable affects on the novice. Never repeat-cast. Repeat casting may have unforeseeable negative consequences for the novice practitioner." I frowned; I had never expected a spell book to read so much like a technical manual. Bored with the warnings, I jumped ahead to the actual spell.

"Clear a space about four feet in diameter around you. Remove all easily movable objects, such as books and candles. A chalk circle may be drawn to facilitate this process, but it is not necessary."

I cleared away the clutter, and then moved the table, just to be sure. After a moment's hesitation, I moved the journal as well. If something happened, I didn't want to lose it, and there had to be a reason why the spell called for the removal of all easily movable items. I decided to forgo the chalk since I didn't know where any could be found, and I didn't feel like taking the time out to look. Ready, I returned to the page.

"Stand in the middle of the circle, palms upraised. Remain in this position until enough power is drawn." I paused there. Enough power is drawn? How was I supposed to do that?

I continued reading. "First, invoke the spell-type by chanting 'Tervali' in a loud, clear voice. Chant the name of the world you wish to travel to next and finally chant the name of the person to be used as a locator. Novices must note that when traveling between world-gaps the only sure way of locating the spell is through the use of a person. Places may be used by more experienced practitioners only if one has a clear mental image--otherwise the teleport may negate itself and leave the caster in limbo. For this reason, we recommend name locators almost exclusively. If you have called enough power, you will be transported instantly. Remember to wait an interval between chants, and be warned that too much power or too little could prove fatal in this spell. Of course, if the destination or purpose is fixed in your mind clearly enough, the actual chanting is unnecessary, but this method is not recommended for beginners."

That was it. No more helpful hints, no more instructions. And this was _easy_? I couldn't believe it. God forbid I should ever try a hard spell. I thought of going back up and finishing the introduction, but I figured that it would be about as incomprehensible as the rest, and I didn't want to confuse myself. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the center of the library. I knew that if I didn't do it now I would lose my nerve entirely.

"Wish me luck, Artemis," I said. I only had a day, it seemed, but that would be enough to warn him. Artemis stared at me sadly.

That warning about power levels struck me ominously. This definitely ranked up there with the stupidest things I'd ever done in my life, but somehow I didn't care as much as I should have. Taking a deep breath, I began. I held my hands out, palms facing towards the ceiling. I closed my eyes and breathed regularly. I had an impression that "taking power" was probably a lot like meditation, just a little more aggressive.

As if I had removed a mental dam, I felt myself tingle with a force I could barely contain. I allowed it to flow for some time, feeling giddy, but a sharp meow from Artemis stopped me before I drew too much. I trusted him as much as I did anyone, I supposed.

"Tervali," I sort of sang-spoke, dragging the vowels out to make them feel grander. I felt the power within me subtly change.

"Umeru," I chanted in the same way. The feeling of dislocation was instantaneous. My body felt as though it were poised between two worlds. The real danger of this spell became suddenly, frighteningly, clear. Eternal limbo was not my idea of a life-well-lived. One last word and hopefully, I would be there.

"Mamoru." I said, and for some reason I invested his name with more meaning than I had originally intended. The last sound I heard from my world was Artemis in the library, meowing mournfully.

---------------------

I landed with a thump before a campfire. I winced, and looked around. In front of me were two men busily engaged with their meal. One had a shaved head with sharp, chiseled features. The other had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a thin, almost girlish face. They stared at me with their hands on their swords, but they seemed to recognize that I was no threat to them in the classical sense.

A brisk wind informed me why.

I had landed in the middle of Mamoru's camp, naked .

**(Seriously, folks, consider buying my book. Not if it's going to take the food from your dog's mouth, or anything, but just if you like the excerpt and wouldn't mind supporting a fellow author and fanfic lover.)**


	3. Why I Should Have Learned Chopsticks

Author's note: 

Right, sorry about that holding the story hostage thing. Guess it's not going to work. Future chapters will come out once every few days. I'd love it if you'd check out my author profile and read the sample chapters on my website. Thanks.

Book Two: Why I Should Have Learned to Use Chopsticks

Consigning Mamoru, Petunia and that innocent-looking little book to a far corner of hell, I covered myself as best I could, and averted my gaze. This couldn't possibly be happening. I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them again I would be back in Petunia's library, fully clothed. No such luck. The two men gawked, chopsticks lying useless in their bowls. One of us had to end this, but I didn't want to expose myself any more than I had already, and those two looked content enough to just sit there forever. Just when I was about to suck up my embarrassment and demand that one of them offer me his cloak, another figure appeared in the clearing.

It was extremely tall, masked, and dressed entirely in black. The short sword at his hip and the longer sword on his back did not look exactly friendly. I backed up. I had a moment of fear that the Kojin had already found them and I had landed in the middle of a trap. That fear was roughly eradicated, however, when the apparition pulled off his mask and cloak, staring at me incredulously.

I had no doubt in my mind that this was Mamoru. From what I could see in the flickering firelight, he had longish black-blue hair that fell disarmingly into his forehead. His eyes looked black, but I thought that they might be a dark blue in better light. His face was long and masculine, but the shadows across it made him look mysterious, if not forbidding. After a moment's pause, he strode to the campfire.

"Who are you?" At the sound of his voice, I started. It was deep and sexy, but that wasn't what surprised me.

He spoke a completely different language, but I understood it anyway. I opened my mouth to respond, wondering if he would understand me as well.

"My..." I trailed off, surprised to hear an entire other word leave my mouth. Was I speaking their language? I tried again. "My name is Serena," I said.

"Why are you here? How did you find us?" he asked, his body tense. How was I supposed to answer that? I decided to ignore his questions at least until I could find something to cover myself with.

"Listen, I can explain everything later...do you have _anything_ I could put on?" I said.

He had the grace to look away momentarily. "How do I know that you're not an enemy?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "You're pretty lucky if your enemies are stupid enough to appear naked and unarmed in the middle of your camp. It doesn't exactly sound like an ideal method of infiltration to me."

He smiled reluctantly. Bending down, he gently placed his cloak around my shoulders. I shivered slightly when his fingers brushed against me. Feeling a little more secure, I looked up again and realized that his eyes were most certainly--and disconcertingly--blue, framed by incredibly thick eyelashes.

He sat next to the other two men and leaned back, his eyebrows delicately raised. His attitude did nothing to make me feel more comfortable, but I persevered.

"You are...Mamoru?" I asked. To my embarrassment, I stumbled over his name. He sardonically corrected my pronunciation.

"Yes. These are my friends Ashitare" he gestured to the man with the long queue, "and Genro," the bald one, apparently. "I assume you meant to find us," he said with a barely concealed smirk.

I grit my teeth. I was really going to have a few bones to pick with Petunia when I got back.

"Yes," I said, studiously ignoring the unstated question. "I...have come with a warning," I said. Now, how exactly was I supposed to phrase this? Even as I thought about it, my rationale for coming here sounded increasingly pitiful. In my haste to find him, I had barely spent any time thinking the situation through logically. And now, here I was, in the middle of another world, naked, with the most insufferably condescending man interrogating me. At this point, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to save him.

He watched me with amusement, although his two companions regarded me with slightly more credulous expressions. I could tell, however, that they were growing a little bored with my silence. I was going to lose my audience in a second.

" I received a..." Come on Serena, use your imagination. "Vision!" I said triumphantly. I could judge by their expressions that they were not quite ready to kick me out in the cold just yet. So far, so good. "Minions of the Kojin wait for you at the Fugira pass," I continued, my pronunciation not failing this time. My voice took on more sonorous tones almost automatically, and I could see the others sizing me up with more respect. Ashitare and Genro exchanged worried glances, but Mamoru was skeptical. I glowered at him.

"You will be allowed to the enter the pass, at which point you will be surrounded and captured by ten armed and masked men. The Kojin has given the leader...Ushiro," I remembered the name after a short pause, and congratulated myself silently, "a magical amulet to block the only possible escape route to your west."

"If this is true, Mamoru, we can't possibly go through the pass! It's far too dangerous," Ashitare said.

"Hold on, Ashitare," he said, his eyes still firmly on me. Genro moved as if to speak but Mamoru silenced him with a gesture. Still wearing that half-smile, half-smirk, he walked over to where I sat and offered his hand. I took it reluctantly, and he pulled me to a standing position. I was careful to hold the cloak tightly around me, as I did not want to give a repeat performance.

"Thank you for your information...Serena," he said. His words were polite but there was definitely an undercurrent of mocking humor.

"But, it's unnecessary," he said. "I already know."

---------------------

I stared at him, my expression of disbelief mirrored by his two companions. He already knew! I found myself possessed of a strong desire to throw the kind of temper tantrum I thought I had grown out of since the third grade.

"You_know_?" I said, my voice rising querulously. He looked at me for a moment, and then began to laugh. At the sound of his deep voice booming with mirth through the forest, I lost what little self-control I had been exercising up to this point.

"I can't believe this!" I said, my anger temporarily silencing him. "I did _not_ go through all of this just to be told by some smart-ass like you that you already know!" I wasn't sure quire how "smart-ass" was translated, but from his expression I had obviously landed upon some suitable equivalent.

"I almost died!" I stalked back and forth before the fire, waving my hands in the air for emphasis. The three men stared at me, stunned. "I cast a stupid spell that was so dangerous, and I don't even know _how_ to cast spells, just so I could save your stupid, worthless lives! And here you tell me that you already _knew_? I...I..."

I stopped. Quite unexpectedly, I wanted to cry. I had experienced such a brief moment in the rosy glow of heroism, imagining myself the recipient of Mamoru's grateful thanks, a harbinger of peace and justice to this world. Now I knew my true measure: a worthless message-carrier, already the bearer of old news. I knew that my eyes were sparkling ominously, and I bit my cheek in an effort to keep from crying. I would die before I allowed myself to display that final weakness before Mamoru. It may have been an absurd burst of pride that I didn't fully understand, but I clung to it resolutely.

I ceased my ravings and stepped closer to him. I was surprised to see an expression of remorse cross his face. I realized, quite irrelevantly, that my head barely reached his shoulders.

"I'll leave now, I suppose," I said softly. Would this really be the end of my adventure? I couldn't believe it, but it seemed that there was no choice. I tugged at the cloak to give it to him. I could not imagine a more undignified retreat than one in the buff, but I did not have very many options. He opened his mouth but was apparently unable to force anything out of it. Finally, just before I removed the cloak, he reached his hand and closed it again roughly, looking into my watery eyes with a disconcerting directness.

"No!" he said. "I mean," he said, "at least allow me to...you just can't go out there on your own without any clothes. You couldn't even defend yourself--"

"Oh?" I said, drawing myself up again. For some reason his outburst had restored some of my confidence. "What makes you think that I can't defend myself?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm _sure_ you are perfectly capable of defending yourself. Just... allow me to get you some...clothes, at the very least..."

I looked at him angrily. Despite my pride, however, I was not too eager to walk into that dark forest, alone and naked. This world did not sound like my safe, westernized and industrialized home.

"Serena..." With his accent, it sounded more like "Sarina," and bizarrely appealing.

"I lied," he glanced away. Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "I _did_ know that the Kojin was planning something at the pass--"  
"How?" I asked. After all, I knew that he hadn't known a thing about it three hours earlier.

"Sniff the air. Do you smell anything?" he asked, his eyes firmly on my features again.

I tried to do this nonchalantly, but I couldn't smell much of anything, so I stuck my nose in the air. "Not really," I said.

"You probably wouldn't, since it blends in so well with the natural smell of the woods. But there is a faint smell of peppermint here. The closer to the pass we get, the stronger it becomes. Peppermint is the trace-scent of the Kojin's magic. That's how I knew."

I stared at him, and he crossed his arms over his chest complacently. Magic smelled?

"But..." I said, still intent on wringing out his apology.

He sighed and gave me an appreciative half-smile. "But, I perhaps wasn't sure of exactly what they were planning...I wasn't aware they would block the west pass."

"Mamoru, if you knew, then why didn't you tell us?" Genro finally managed to say, roughly breaking into what had somehow become an intimate dialogue.

"Because when I came back, I was met by this little surprise who told you all anyway."

"Oh," Genro said.

"So, my dear," he said, turning back to me, "I believe that I owe you an apology."

Now, the only reason I allowed this was because he surprised me. I would, however, be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. In a practiced motion, he enveloped my hand in his own and bowed over it. His eyes never left mine. I couldn't have moved if I tried; I couldn't even breathe. I was overcome with the touch of his lips and the deep blue eyes that held mine captive. I suspected that the moment lasted a bit longer than was proper, but I was not in a position to know; no one had ever kissed my hand before. When he stood up again, he looked cocky enough for me to punch him.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked, his deep voice mocking in its very innocence.

"Yes," I said in a small, breathy voice that I did not even recognize as my own.

Ah, well. So much for pride.

---------------------

Mamoru pulled out a large gray shift from his saddlebags and handed it to me. I accepted it and changed behind a tree. When I reemerged more modestly attired, I felt a little embarrassed about my earlier behavior. He really had gone out of his way to help me; remarkable since he still knew absolutely nothing about me, unless you counted the jumbled mixture of facts that I had tossed out haphazardly during my earlier tantrum. Although he eyed me curiously, he still didn't ask any questions, for which I was grateful. Not as though I would dream of mentioning my friendlier feelings to the man himself. No, his ego was obviously quite large enough without additional reinforcement.

He could not quite keep himself from laughing when he saw me in his shift. It hung all the way to my knees and the sleeves came far over my hands. It was, however, made of a woolen material that made me feel warm for the first time since I had landed there. I smiled self-deprecatingly, and twirled a bit for his benefit.

"Don't I look gorgeous?" I asked, tossing my unkempt braid over my shoulder.

He smiled reluctantly. "It's from up north, the Hokusai region. With your hair like that, you even look like a Hokusai," he said and then changed the subject before I could ask him what Hokusai meant. "Have you eaten?" he asked. I shook my head. Nodding, he pulled two clean bowls from his saddlebag and walked to the campfire. I sat next to him, painfully aware of our proximity. He smelled like horse, sweat and musky wool--not precisely sweet or malodorous, just striking. It did nothing for my composure.

He reached for a small kettle keeping warm on the banked fire and poured something into both his bowl and mine. I took it from him, and then peered curiously at what was apparently my dinner. There were noodles in a broth of some sort with chunks of unidentifiable meat floating within. I grimaced, but then chastised myself. What was I expecting, tea at the Ritz? I was busy looking around for a fork or a spoon when Mamoru handed me two sticks.

I regarded them curiously. _What_ were...oh right, chopsticks. The last time I had attempted to eat with the things had been a year ago, when Master Mehra took a few of us from Tae Kwon Do to a Chinese restaurant. Everyone else knew how to use them, but after an hour of trying to teach me how, even Master Mehra had given up and gotten me a fork.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" he asked, with something harder than sarcasm in his voice.

"Um..." I said. I avoided his hard gaze.

"Tell me, Serena," he said, "I get the impression that where you come from, you probably get all the privileges of high society. The food there is probably much better, I'm sure. However, while you're here, and while I am risking a great deal to let you stay with us, I suggest that you deign to eat such meager fare as this."

I stared at him, stunned for a second. He was genuinely angry.

"Th-that's not it! I...I..." I couldn't say it, I just couldn't.

"I...what?" Mamoru said, sarcastic but also a little hopeful.

I said a small prayer and then blurted out the hateful truth. "I don't know how to use chopsticks!" Mamoru winced even as he smiled.

"Oh...please accept my apologies." I could feel him looking at me, but I was busy making studious eye contact with the ground and trying to hide my blush.

"You really did drop out of the sky, didn't you?" he said, and I could hear a smile in his voice. I looked up cautiously into his laughing eyes. I started to smile as well, despite myself. He placed his already empty bowl on the ground and reached for his chopsticks.

"Just mirror my actions," he said. For close to ten minutes Mamoru endeavored to help make my clumsy fingers mirror his own, with no success. After I had dropped them in my bowl for the fifth time, he leaned back sighing. I stared at him from under my bangs, my hands demurely in my lap. As I sat there awkwardly, my stomach emitted a growl that must have been audible within a five-foot radius. I glanced into Mamoru's laughing eyes and then away again, quickly.

"All right," he said, sighing, " I give up." At first I thought that he really was going to let me starve, and I stared at him with a panicked expression

"Don't worry, I won't let you starve," he said. And to my surprise, he picked up my chopsticks, expertly lifted up the noodles and held them in front of my space.

"What?" Was he actually...?

"Feeding you," he said. "Now, I was under the impression you were hungry?"

Silently I opened my mouth. Even prepared over an open fire in the middle of nowhere with lukewarm water, the food was delicious. I slurped the noodles, closing my eyes briefly to enjoy the flavor. Mamoru stared at me with amusement and admiration."Well?" I said.

"Unbelievable," he said, shaking his head. "How could enjoy that so much? Maybe I should try mine again."

I grinned. Then I opened my mouth wide. Still chuckling slightly, he shoveled in the noodles as fast as I could get them down. In relatively little time I had slurped the entirety of my dinner. I sat back, pleasantly full, and with an abrupt change of emotion, I felt all the relative ease of the past few minutes melt away.

"Thank you," I said shyly, smiling up at him.

"You're welcome," he said. He busied himself with cleaning up the remains of camp, but in less than five minutes, that task was complete. Ashitare and Genro had left the campfire after Mamoru gave me the tunic. Mamoru told me that Ashitare had the first watch this night, and Genro had tactfully retired further afield in the clearing.

Mamoru handed me his cloak again. "You can use that tonight. Don't sleep too close to the fire."

I yawned. "What about you?" I asked.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling, "We must get ready for tomorrow, regardless." And with that curious statement, he walked over to where Genro lay and kicked him awake unceremoniously. I stared after him for a moment, unsure of what to think about what had just happened. In a space of less than two hours, he had impressed me, angered me and...well, had been incredibly sweet to me. I was afraid that if I closed my eyes, even for a second, I would wake up in the library again. I did not want this to be a dream. I had wanted it for too damn long for it to be a dream. Slowly, I sat down next to the fire and covered myself in his large cloak.

It smells like him, I thought pleasantly, just before I drifted away.

---------------------

Awoken before dawn the next morning, I was hoisted unceremoniously on the back of Mamoru's horse, forced to ride uncomfortably close to him, while praying that my shift wouldn't ride too far up my bare legs. We rode in silence for a while, my arms tingling with treacherous pleasure as they gripped his waist. In an attempt to distract myself, I stared at the scenery around me. I had never seen a virgin forest like this one. There was something about the size of the trees, the quality of the light that filtered to the floor, the mystery permeating the entire situation, that overcame me with beauty.

"It's gorgeous, is it not?" Mamoru said quietly, surprising me.

"Yes," I said. While a part of me hoped that he would continue the conversation, he fell silent again. After a few hours, I noticed that we had slowed; the terrain was more uneven and the trees had thinned out. I realized that we must be extremely close to the pass, which reminded me of the original purpose of my journey.

"How much longer will it take for you to go by sea?" I asked, suddenly grateful that he had found out about the attack somehow, even though my help had certainly been negligible. I felt him start under my hands, and he swung to face me.

"We're not going by sea," he said, his hateful eyebrows raised again. Quite suddenly, I felt a resurgence of the annoyance and anger I had felt for him when I first landed.

"What do you mean, you're not going by sea?" I said it in a harsh whisper, but Ashitare and Genro were looking at us curiously. I ignored them.

"Just what I said. Such a journey will take to long, and we don't have that time to spare."

"You know, I _had_ given you some credit for intelligence, but now I take it all back. Do you have a death wish? You know what's awaiting you there, and still you insist on blundering through with a sense of misplaced honor and duty. Your capture and death will do no one any good." Least of all me.

"Genro, Ashitare and I are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We know what we are getting into, and we will just have to take the chance that we will be captured. Their main advantage was that they had the element of surprise. Without it, there is a great deal that we can do."

"Like what?" I demanded. He smiled, raised his detestable eyebrows, and spurred the horse forward.

"You wouldn't understand."

I almost punched him.

---------------------

We argued about it almost nonstop during the next few hours. At one point he asked why I, almost a complete stranger, had taken such an undue interest in his welfare. That shut me up, for a little while at least. I didn't want to tell him about the journal and my world. I had the sneaking suspicion that he would regard my eager reading as voyeurism, not understandable curiosity. Besides, even that didn't explain why I cared so much. So, I tactfully avoided the subject, with myself as well as with Mamoru. The scent of peppermint grew stronger as we neared the pass. My hands tightened around Mamoru's waist even as I argued incessantly with him.

"All right, what do you guys think about all this?" I asked Ashitare and Genro, who had tactfully decided to ride a little behind us. They looked a little surprised that I had ignored Mamoru long enough to notice them, but Ashitare cleared his throat.

"Well," he looked sideways at Mamoru, who nodded his head in what he obviously believed was a subtle gesture.

"While I had my reservations--"

"Listen, lady, we don't have any other choice," Genro interrupted. "I don't know why you care, but this country is dying of the plague. An extra week will cost too many more lives."

My mouth opened and then shut again. Of course, I had forgotten all about the plague in my eagerness to save their hides. They did have a point; their victory would be useless if there was no one left to save. Realizing this, I would have conceded gracefully, had Mamoru not chosen that time to act like a grade-A bastard.

"So, the lady is speechless. I would never have believed it." All thoughts of losing gracefully flew straight from my mind with, I must admit, some relief. I never did like conceding a debate.

"Not speechless, you pea-brained, self-righteous, hotheaded, overblown..." my voice shook and I paused, desperately searching for a final descriptor to fully encapsulate my burgeoning emotions. "Misogynist!" I finished triumphantly, glaring up at him. He was really uncomfortably tall, which gave him an unfair advantage in confrontations like this. And that man, that odious but unfortunately intelligent man, looked at me and smiled.

"That's five," he said. I really wanted to shave those eyebrows of his. "I'm sure I could do better."

"Try," I said.

He looked far too happy to take on the challenge. "Clumsy, nosy, persistent--"

"Wait! That's not a bad trait!"

"In excess, my dear. In excess."

"Why, you...you..." I was suddenly rendered speechless as his deep blue eyes gazed levelly into mine.

"What? Can't think of anymore epithets?"

I turned my head away from him. I absolutely refused to play his games. He laughed in that maddening way of his, and then uttered the words I could not forgive.

"Too easy."

I punched him.

---------------------

Well, it wasn't quite a punch. I realized what I was doing just before it connected and pulled back so abruptly that I heard my shoulder crack. I couldn't stop my momentum in time to avoid tapping his cheek, however, and I suppose that to an observer it might have looked like I had actually decked him.

Within seconds, I felt someone's hands pull me roughly from the back of the saddle, and I dangled from the side of a horse, a knife at my throat. My captor was Ashitare, who had apparently decided I posed a danger to Mamoru.

I felt like a complete idiot. I had never been a master of forethought, but with Mamoru that tendency seemed multiplied tenfold.

"What are you doing here, you little bitch?" Ashitare growled into my ear. I flinched, but was careful not to move too much. That knife was a little too close to my jugular for comfort. Genro, I noticed, had positioned his horse between Mamoru and me, as though I posed some threat even from my incapacitated position. Who did they think I was, anyway? Some sort of evil magician? But, considering what they were up against, I couldn't really blame them.

"Let her go!" Mamoru said, glaring at his two companions.

"But, Mamoru--" Ashitare said.

"I said let her go, you idiots, she didn't even touch me." His voice was a low growl.

He and Ashitare shared a long glance, and at a signal I could not detect, Ashitare conceded and dropped me unceremoniously to the ground. I stared at Mamoru in shock, forgetting the blood that dripped down my neck. He dismounted slowly and walked towards me. I couldn't move; this situation had degenerated from a petty verbal battle into something serious far too quickly. He towered above me, his expression unreadable as I gazed upwards. Deliberately he offered me his hand and I stared at it for a moment. At that absurdly inappropriate interval, I realized that his hands were indeed large, but somehow delicate, different from how I had imagined them in the shower--was it only a day ago? Slowly, I reached for it. While not a normally graceful person, I stood easily, and my hand gripped his even after I had regained my balance.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly, wiping some of the blood from my neck with his fingers. My breathing stopped.

"Yes." What was happening to me? When had I lost control of this situation, or had I ever had control of it? "I'm...sorry I did that," I said. "It was childish of me."

"No need to apologize. You pulled it, and I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't."

His rueful smile broke the spell that had surrounded us for the past few minutes. I breathed in relief, but it was tinged with regret. It had been a stunning feeling, if a little disconcerting.

He raised his voice again with a measure of anger to Ashitare and Genro. "Don't you ever do that again. I have placed her under my protection." His voice was serious, even threatening. Why did he have so much faith that I wasn't an enemy, anyway? After all, I had almost punched him. After a moment's thought, I laughed at myself. It wouldn't make much sense for an enemy to try to incapacitate Mamoru in full view of his armed friends. After an intense moment, Ashitare and Genro nodded silently, and all three mounted their horses. I was about to climb on behind Mamoru when he stopped me.

"It's dusk," he said, "we're almost at the pass. I don't want you to come with us. You're vulnerable, and this is very dangerous."

Dusk already? I had very little time left until the spell ran out.

"You have to take me with you," I said. I saw his skeptical expression and decided that it was time for a little choice acting. I put on my best damsel-in-distress expression. "But, Mamo-chan--" I paused. Where had that nickname come from? My language sense told me that 'chan' was a diminutive reserved for the most intimate of friends or lovers, of which Mamoru and I were neither. Ashitare and Genro snickered at the nickname. Mamoru glowered. All right, keep going, Serena.

"I don't want to be here all alone. Something could come and eat me, and I don't know what I would do..." I pouted a little for effect, rather pleased with my performance. Far from receiving a standing ovation, however, Mamoru laughed. Not mocking, just genuine peals of laughter. I stood there, arms akimbo, looking up in annoyance. This really was not going well.

"Stop it, Serena," he said in between spurts of laughter. Eventually he calmed down. "I suppose I could take you as far as the pass, but after that, you at least have to wait until we defeat the Kojin's men. If we don't...then, just run." I nodded, worried about the implications of failure, but grateful to be tagging along anyway. I scrambled up behind him and gripped his waist. We trotted in silence for a while, but eventually Mamoru reined in, and motioned for the others to be quiet. I opened my mouth to ask a question, but his gesture made me realize that something serious was happening.

Although I had not paid much attention on the ride here, the forest had thinned out completely, and the terrain was growing rougher. Just a little in front of us the ground rose steeply, the path cutting through what looked to be a cliff face. If Mamoru's attitude was any indication, we were probably right in front of the Fugira pass. At a silent signal from Mamoru, Ashitare and Genro dismounted, and tied their horses to a nearby rock. They took a moment to string their longbows before facing Mamoru, who had dismounted as well.

"Mina the gods keep you in this life and the next," Mamoru said, and then, more softly, "Be careful, my friends."

"And you, Mamoru," Ashitare said.

"Remember, if something happens to me..." Mamoru said.

Genro looked rebellious, but Ashitare placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll go back home. We promise."

I felt a curious lump in my throat as I watched them bow. Then, with a nod Mamoru watched as the near total darkness swallowed his friends. I hoped they knew what they were doing.

Mamoru stared after them for a long moment, and then helped me dismount.

"Hide in there," he whispered, pointing to an almost invisible niche in the rock face.

"What are you planning?"

He shook his head silently, and pointed up ahead. I realized that there were other men, probably not Ashitare and Genro, skulking up ahead. Fear gripped my stomach so roughly that I was afraid I would throw up. Somehow I had the most dreadful certainty that Mamoru would not win. I wanted to beg him not to fight, to just go around by sea, but I knew that I endangered him the longer we lingered here. Keeping my fears to myself, I backed fully into the crevice. He checked to make sure I was hidden, and then spurred his horse forward, riding noisily into the pass.

---------------------

The fact that I had a great view of the ensuing scene proved to be both a blessing and a curse. I had, despite myself, grown attached to Mamoru's fate--after all, it was why I had come here in the first place--and the thought of his death scared me. My stomach clenched in fear when I realized that he had deliberately announced his presence to the Kojin's men. I knew intellectually that this must be part of his plan. I guessed he was distracting them so that Ashitare and Genro had the advantage of a surprise attack. Shapeless figures seemed to peel themselves from the darkness to surround Mamoru. One lit a torch, revealing a group of masked men dressed entirely in black.

"Where are the others?" The one holding the torch asked, and with a start I recognized the voice from my dream: Ushiro.

"We were attacked by bandits two days ago. They were wounded and could not continue." Mamoru's voice was impassive, revealing nothing. I held my breath; I expected that Ashitare and Genro would start their surprise attack very soon. Still, moments passed as the men registered his statement, and I did not hear the thud of an arrow piercing enemy flesh. I glanced up at the ridge where they must have been hiding, and realized why. Surrounded as Mamoru was, it would be easy for one of the men to hold him as a hostage and effectively cut off the attack before it served any useful purpose. If they could be distracted, though...

"I don't believe you," Ushiro said, spurring his horse forward. He raised his sword towards Mamoru's neck, but in a blindingly quick motion the latter drew his sword and deflected the blow. Ushiro gave him an appraising gaze.

"So, you are not a complete fool, after all," he said. Mamoru stared at him, silently, and given his position he could not have been expected to see the glint of a steel blade being slowly removed from a hidden sheath near Ushiro's belt. From my vantage point, however, the situation was clear. In a second that knife would sheath itself in Mamoru's unguarded stomach.

Blood rushed passed my ears, and I tried to think rationally past the terror. There had to be something I could do. Clearly fighting was out of the question--even if the odds hadn't been decidedly against me, I wasn't about to fight armed and mounted men with my bare feet. A mere distraction would save Mamoru's life and give Ashitare and Genro the opening they needed. And then, I knew. So what if it was embarrassing, I thought as I prepared myself. It's worth Mamoru's life, isn't it?

After all, what could be more distracting than a naked woman, running screaming into the heart of danger?

In that second's stunned surprise, Mamoru saw the blade and knocked it out of Ushiro's hand. As for the rest of the men, they raggedly broke formation, and many made lunges at my naked form. After a couple seconds, the overwhelming fear dissipated, and I began to enjoy the adrenaline rush. They were so busy staring at the bouncing of my breasts that they seemed to have lost all coordination, so it was relatively easy for me to evade their grasping hands. In the midst of the confusion, Mamoru stared at me, mouth open, his eyes half laughing, half-angry. All right, Ashitare, Genro, I thought, time to make your move. Almost on cue, I heard the whistle of an arrow through the air, then a thud and a groan from behind me. The shot only added to the confusion, and thankfully took some of their attention off of me. I looked around frantically for another hiding place; they would remember me eventually. Before I could do so, however, I felt hands reach roughly under my armpits, bruising them. He reached for his short sword with his right arm, and held my waist with his left. For the second time that day, I dangled from the side of a horse, cold steel at my neck. This time I was under no illusions about the imminence of my death; it was Ushiro's knife at my throat.

"Stop!" he roared, so loudly that I winced. His order was obeyed almost immediately. No more arrows were fired, but Ashitare and Genro still remained hidden. Mamoru lowered his sword abruptly and turned towards me. Ushiro saw the gesture as well, and tightened his grip.

"One more step forward, and the girl dies. You understand?"

I looked imploringly at Mamoru, trying to tell him to ignore Ushiro. I would leave soon anyway, and I had never meant to make him lose the battle. Mamoru looked, for the first time since I had met him, thoroughly daunted. It seemed as though he had no intention of fighting while Ushiro held a sword to my throat. This couldn't be happening. I had to do something to salvage this situation.

"Put your sword down," Ushiro said slowly. "And tell your friends to come out in the open."

And then, two things happened at once. I felt myself begin to fade, slowly, as if the process of returning was considerably more difficult than coming. Mamoru began to lower his sword. Then I realized that I had another opening, and this time I wasn't going to waste it.

"No!" I shouted, and taking advantage of the fact that Ushiro had lost his grip on me, I elbowed him hard in the stomach and grabbed the sword out of his loose hand as I fell. I only had time to swing wildly in Ushiro's general direction before I felt Mamoru's strong arms drag me over his horse's rump.

"What in hell's name is wrong with you?" His words were angry but breathless. He was fighting off two men at once.

"I was just trying to help!" I said, pulling myself to an upright position while avoiding the swipes of swords. Mamoru might have replied, but another, more formidable, opponent replaced the one he had just dispatched. I turned around to make sure that no one else was attacking, and in the process I glimpsed Ushiro. So, that's where the other men went. He had been wounded, somehow. And then I remembered the sword, still in my numb fingers. Had I done that? I remembered the feeling of my sword biting into flesh before Mamoru grabbed me... and then I had a clear view of his wound. His throat had been sliced raggedly, blood pouring from it in a deadly stream. I gaped in horror, and was almost hit by someone else who had pulled along side us. Mamoru paused long enough to knock off my attacker, but that one moment of distraction had allowed the bigger man's sword through his defenses. The sword slashed through his light armor, leaving a gash on his upper arm. Mamoru grunted, and used his other arm to block the next attack. I could see, however, that he was tiring, and the wound had only further reduced our chances of survival.

Suddenly overcome with an unreasoning anger, I raised Ushiro's sword and, driven by desperation and not skill, shoved it unmercifully into his opponent's stomach. The man grunted once, and then fell off of his horse. Had I killed him?

"Are you all right?" I asked, staring at the spreading wetness on his shirt in concern. He looked at me, but then his attention focused towards the right.

"Ashitare, Genro!" he screamed suddenly. "Run!" And as I strained my eyes through the darkness of the cliffs above us, I thought I saw two figures pause and then scurry away. Then, turning my attention to what had provoked Mamoru's sudden warning, I saw Ushiro standing improbably upright, though supported by two men. Peppermint saturated the air, its source probably the glowing disk he held in his right hand. The green light was bright, and I realized after a moment that this must be the Kojin's famed amulet. At least Ashitare and Genro had managed to escape before he blocked the West exit.

Taking advantage of our distraction, someone roughly pulled Mamoru and me off of the horse. Even as it happened, however, I felt myself begin to fade again, and the power dragging me back to my world was much harder to resist this time. I would disappear any second now. On a desperate impulse, I grabbed Mamoru as we went down.

"I'm leaving, now," I whispered. He stared at me.

"How?"

Hands pushed us upright and swords compelled us to walk forward. "The way I came. I'm not...from this world. Believe me, Mamoru," I said. We were nearing Ushiro, who looked weak, but formidable in his anger all the same. I paled slightly; he would demand vengeance for that wound. Yet another reason to leave this world expeditiously. I stepped forward, and felt myself fade dangerously. Mamoru gasped; he could probably see what was happening, as well.

"Here," he said, pulling something from around his neck.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The man behind us asked, grabbing Mamoru. Just before the other men used that as an excuse to kick him into the dirt, he pressed it into my hand.

"Serena," he said, even as he tried to fight them off, "take that with you. If you can...please..." His voice grew distant in my ears, and I knew I was almost fully in my world again.

"Find me." And that was the last I heard.

---------------------

I sat in the library, naked of course, still gripping something hard and metal in my hand. So, it had survived the trip with me, I thought. I wondered why and then shrugged. My emotions seemed distanced, like I had overused them so much in the other world that now I could barely feel anything. I opened my hands to reveal a circular disk hung on a thick silver chain. On the disk were seven circles, and within each circle was a drawing of some sort. One looked like a horse, another like a dragon, one like a bunny and a few others were unidentifiable. I wondered what it meant, and why Mamoru thought it was so important.

Some of my shock dissipated, and my hands shook with burgeoning emotion. The last I had seen him he had been hurt, about to be beaten by a band of hired thugs. Ashitare and Genro had escaped, but even if they could have done something, Mamoru had made them swear to return to their families if anything happened to him. Which left, I supposed, myself. I thought about Mamoru's last request--plea, really. _Find me._ How was I supposed to do that? Why did I care so much about this other world and their war? It was getting dangerous, anyway. The bloody cut on my throat reminded me of that.

And, to top it all off, Mamoru wasn't exactly a model specimen of humanity. Relentlessly sarcastic, insufferably condescending, unwontedly vain, he had almost driven me to physical violence and I was ashamed of that, but that didn't make him less annoying. Humanity was better off without him. I had just about talked myself into tossing the amulet into a dusty corner of Petunia's library when a memory entered my mind, unbidden. Mamoru smiling, holding noodles up to my face while I gobbled them greedily. So maybe he wasn't a total bastard. After all, it's not every day that someone feeds you home cooked noodles.

My anger melted away, and I was left with...resignation. I had known that I would help him. It had been a lost cause from the beginning.

Which was, I suppose, why I should have learned to use chopsticks.

** (Book Three coming in a few days. Thanks for reading.) **


	4. Why I Should Have Packed Clean Underwear

Another loooong chapter for your enjoyment. I would have posted this earlier, but I've been traveling around the west coast on a book tour. Insert the usual reminder about my novel here, info available on my author page. I like comments!

Book Three: Why I Should Have Packed Clean Underwear

(_or_, Cluck YOU, Chickens!)

---------------------

I almost walked out of the house without putting my clothes back on. Muttering to myself, I walked back into the library and pulled on my worn jeans and tank top. I sunk to the floor, my head aching. How could I possibly save Mamoru? I couldn't know what had happened after I left, but my imagination obligingly supplied lurid pictures. I forced myself to stop thinking about it; I was always useless when I was emotional. The feel of something furry rubbing against my legs startled me, and I let out a muffled squeal. Artemis looked at me reproachfully.

"Don't look at me like that, you'd be paranoid too." Artemis merely nuzzled my leg again. My hands shook when I bent down to pet him.

"See, I got back all right," I said, half to comfort myself. Sure, I was fine, but Mamoru was another story... I sighed and Artemis gave me a hard look, as though he were asking what had happened.

"It's a _long_ story," I said softly, still petting him. I took a deep breath and stood up. I said. I put the amulet around my neck and tucked it under my shirt. Then I grabbed my keys and the journal.

"Come on, Artemis," I said loudly from the library door. "Let's go see if my nympho roommate has missed me."

---------------------

I walked into our apartment with Artemis, hearing only silence. Mina's car was still parked in front, but considering her social life, that didn't mean much of anything. I found myself growing suddenly and irrationally angry that she would have gone on with her whirlwind romances without even worrying about me.

"Hey, May! Where are you?" I walked into the living room. "Anyone home?" I heard a sleepy and confused grunt from the general direction of her bedroom, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Serena?"

I stared in amazement as a figure, dressed in a rather ugly, if expensive-looking, bright green silk bathrobe, stepped out of Mina's bedroom. Mind you, the bathrobe didn't surprise me--much to my sorrow, I'd been subjected to its ghastly appearance many times before. No, what shocked me was Mina's hair. It was standing straight up. Usually, Mina was absolutely meticulous about her looks, but if I could credit it, I'd think that she'd been _trying_ to look ugly. My eyes grew huge.

"What happened?"

She gave me a long hard stare and then burst into a tirade that she had obviously been composing long before my arrival.

"Oh, only that you had taken my good blow-dryer, and hidden it god-knows-where, so I had to use my old, broken blow dryer to try to make myself look good before Engie got here," I allowed myself a moment's amazement that "Engie" had managed to sustain her attention for four whole days. It must be record. "Except that it _short-circuited_ and before I knew it, my hair looked like_this_, so I had to call him and cancel, and when I went to the fridge to console myself, I found out that you had eaten _all the ice cream_! And then, when I just decided to go to sleep, Artemis found me and kept me up all night with his meowing. Then he finally leaves, and _you_ show up!"

I stared at her for a shocked moment before I felt the giggles rising up in my throat. Sure, I would probably be just as mad if it had happened to me, but that didn't mean I couldn't see the humor when it happened to someone else. I started to laugh even harder when I tried to imagine her reaction if I told her about _my_ day. She would never believe a word of it. Laughing, unfortunately, was the wrong reaction. Mina screwed her face into an expression that was, if anything, even more ludicrous.

"And you--you!" she spluttered, bordering on incoherence. "All this time you were out with your secret lover! To think that I even_helped_ you look nice for that date of yours...and you just abandoned me like this!" She looked, to my surprise, like she was about to cry.

"Boy, are you on PMS, or what?" I muttered under my breath.

"I'm_what_?"

"Nothing, nothing," I protested in an effort to appease her. "Honestly, I'm not having a torrid love affair or anything," I paused a moment to really appreciate the humor of the very idea. "I just had to go..." I trailed off, with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Mina wasn't looking very appeased, and I couldn't think of a plausible excuse for my running off in the middle of the night. Making an effort to save the situation, I grasped the first idea that entered my mind. "I...had to help...at Cluck-U." Brilliant, Serena, I thought. Of all excuses for me to give, why _that_ one? I thought I had put all chickens--rubber _and_ fried--out of my life forever.

"I thought you had quit."

Mina was more perceptive than I had thought. "Well," I said slowly, searching for an explanation. "I had to agree to...um...help out in...emergencies as part of my...resignation," I said. I was lucky that Mina had never worked a day in her life, or she would never have believed me. "Josh got sick, so I had to fill in."

"Oh," Mina said, taking in my explanation and apparently finding it satisfactory. "Well then, what about the ice cream?"

I winced. Those 100 fat grams certainly had gone somewhere. "It was bad ice cream anyway," I assured her. "Too fluffy...and besides, you don't want to look bad for Engie, do you?" My tongue almost rebelled at pronouncing that horrid nickname, but I forced it through. The mention of Engie, as I had expected, worked wonders on my friend's mood, and she looked almost ready to forgive me."Come on, Mina," I said, "I think there's a MASH marathon on. We can veg out in front of the TV, and I can braid your hair and we can eat loads of popcorn."

Yep, I was the master. Completely forgetting about her anger, Mina agreed eagerly. MASH was our mutual favorite show, ever since I had introduced her to it. Sometimes I was under the impression that Mina hadn't watched any television before she moved here, which brought up yet another round of interesting questions of where the heck she had lived before this. Probably a cave, I thought as I went to get the popcorn. It occurred to me how funny it was that Mina and I were having a "girls night in" at twelve in the morning, but neither of us was particularly inclined to sleep. Looking considerably happier, Mina flopped on our couch, and flipped on the television. Sure enough, I heard the familiar theme song, and smiled to myself. Some things just didn't change. I dumped the popcorn into a bowl then plopped next to Mina and offered her some.

Her hand hesitated above the popcorn. "Is it the low-fat kind?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied. Mina could use a little fat, and she also knew better than to trust me when it came to popcorn and ice cream. I reached for the brush on the coffee table and began to gently run it through Mina's hair. Her hair really was a mess, and it took me a while to work through all the tangles.

"What would you do without me, May?" I asked facetiously as I began a french braid. Her hair wasn't quite as long as mine, but it fell a respectable distance to her waist, and I knew from experience how hard it was to deal with long hair.

Mina simply smiled in reply, too intent on the television to really answer me. I tried to focus on the screen, but images of my recent adventure kept replacing the shots of Klinger in his latest drag outfit. I would seriously doubt my sanity if it weren't for the heavy weight of Mamoru's amulet. That and the cut on my neck were hard proof of what had happened to me, and insurance that I wouldn't just sit at home and forget about it. Perhaps I was taking a break right now, but I knew that in the morning I would have to pick up and keep moving.

"Mina," I said softly. I didn't quite know what to tell her, but I had to say something.

"Yes?"

"Well, I'm...going to have to go away for a bit." I said.

"What?" she said, finally dragging her attention away from the television.

"I'm...going on vacation," I said. Not precisely inspired, but the best I could do.

She narrowed her eyes. "Vacation?" she repeated. "Didn't you tell the...I mean, Petunia that you would housesit for her?"

"Well...yes, but I thought I'd get away for a week...you know...um...she'll never know." I kept hoping that Mina would once again engage herself in Hawkeye's sarcastic comments, but no such luck. I had her full attention.

"Well...you know," she said slowly, a light dawning in her eyes that did not reassure me. "I could use a break too."

A break? A break from what? Non-stop sex with Engie?

"Where are you going? We could go together," she said.

I stared at her, stunned for a moment. How on earth could I find Petunia with Mina tagging along? Especially without telling Mina what I was really doing. She was looking at me expectantly, however, so I had to come up with something believable, and quick.

"Well...um, I've got to call up the travel agent..." Meaning the random number Petunia had given me before she left. "And see what trips I can afford..." I trailed off, the salient realization finally dawning upon me. In my fever to help Mamoru, I had forgotten about one very important fact: money. Even though Petunia had given me a great deal, I wasn't sure if it would cover a ticket to wherever my elusive but affluent employer had opted to vacation.

Mina was waving her hand negligently. "That doesn't matter, Serena. I've got plenty of money! If we go together, I'll pay for everything." She looked at me, expectant and hopeful. I was about to shake my head in an emphatic 'no' before an evil little plan occured to me. I had to force down a grin as I contemplated it. Sure, I may have felt the vague stirrings of conscience, but I squashed them. I was a woman with a mission. Since Mina wanted to go, and since I needed the money, I figured that I could take her part of the way and then somehow ditch her before I reached Petunia.

"Hey, why not?" I said. "Tomorrow I'll call and see what places are...um...nice around this time of year and then we'll plan our vacation."

"That's fantastic!"

I felt a twinge of remorse at her obvious enthusiasm. Maybe I shouldn't do this to her.

"Wherever we go though," she said seriously, "there have to be plenty of good-looking guys." The twinge died a sad, lonely death. Who was I kidding? Of course the males were the main attraction for her "break," seeing as how she'd probably laid all eligible males in the DC metropolitan area.

I muttered to myself as I got up off the couch and stretched. "Hey, what about Engie?"

Mina's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I forgot! Oh well," she giggled, "I need a change of scenery."

I laughed outright, pulled her braid playfully and walked to my room. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

---------------------

I woke up in the afternoon. I wasn't surprised to find that Mina had already left, although I felt another twinge of conscience when I read her note.

Serena,

I'm so glad we're going on vacation together! I've gone shopping just for the occasion, so don't worry if I'm back late. I'll buy for warm weather--the beach would be nice--but if the travel agent says something else would be better, I'll be prepared :)

XOXOXO

May

I groaned. She was buying for warm _and_ cold weather? Really, one of these days I was going to have to visit that gold mine her father owned. I absentmindedly poured some milk into my favorite cereal--Alphabits with extra marshmallows. First I had to call the number from somewhere in Switzerland that Petunia had given me if I needed to contact her. Hopefully that would tell me where Petunia had gone, and I could take Mina's money and book the tickets. As I stirred the partially dissolved marshmallows around in the milk, I felt a little dirty at the thought of exploiting Mina so flagrantly. I still needed her money, but I decided to use all but a hundred dollars of my own towards our vacation. I'd pay her back eventually.

I took an hour to get dressed and then fished Petunia's mysterious Swiss number out of my jeans pocket. I sat in front of the telephone, pen and paper in hand, feeling nervous. I mean, what was I supposed to say to Petunia if and when I found her? I could imagine it now: "Hello, I know I'm supposed to be watching your house now, but I got sucked into another world and there's a guy there who I really need to rescue because he's in some deep trouble right now." I winced. Well, I would deal with that later.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone and dialed the operator. I read the number to her and almost choked when she told me that the call would be two dollars a minute. I would have to keep this one short.

"Gutentag"

Uh-oh. That sounded like German to me. This was great...of _course_ they spoke German in Switzerland. I felt like smacking myself in the head for thinking that they spoke "Swiss."

"Gutentag?" he repeated. Right, Serena, talk to the guy.

"Um...Petunia. Do you know Petunia?" I said, enunciating my words slowly.

"Oh! You must be Fraulein Campbell," he said in impeccable English. "Petunia did say that you would be calling sometime around now, of course."

"Yes, that's me," I said.

"Well, Fraulein Campbell, she left a message for you, should you ever call."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It says...well..." he had begun the phrase business-like, but by the end he had trailed off uncertainly.

"Um...Fraulein, I pray that you understand this better than I. The message reads: You may find me with the chickens."

I stared at the phone. "Is that all?" I asked. Some plane tickets would have been nice, but a city or even a damn _country_ would have been better than enigmatic references to chickens.

"Sorry, Fraulein. That was her only message. She perhaps thought you would understand."

"Of course," I said. "Well, thank you for your help."

I grabbed the paper, slipped on my shoes by the door and quickly vacated the apartment.

---------------------

Outside, it was a typical DC summer, hundred degrees with a humidity level that made it feel at least five degrees hotter. I didn't mind, though. The heat seemed to bake the worries straight out of my head, even as I developed large wet spots in the underarms of my tee shirt. I wandered aimlessly in and around my neighborhood, trying to force my way past the muddle in my head. Why would Petunia be "with the chickens?" The mere mention of a chicken nowadays was enough to send me shuddering, remembering my previous days of horror with Harvey: so-called seducer. Perhaps she knew that, and she was trying to torment me.

When I thought my mood couldn't get any lower, I tripped over a bump on the sidewalk and sprawled face down on the pavement. I sat up, flustered but fine (save from a new coating of dust on my already filthy tee shirt) and realized that the "bump" was moving. It took a few more seconds for my muddled head to recognize Artemis, staring up at me expectantly.

"Artemis, you mangy, screwed-up, fur ball! Why don't you watch where you're going?" Artemis meowed reproachfully, and I just sighed in frustration. I just wasn't winning today, was I?

"All right, fine, what do you want? I thought you'd gone out with Mina." Looked at objectively, the situation must have been downright hilarious. I was on my butt on the sidewalk probably looking and smelling like I hadn't bathed in a week, talking as though I genuinely expected a response from an obnoxious stray cat who liked to annoy me and my roommate. I shook my head.

"Really, I'm sure I ought to be used to this by now, but...you are just one_odd_ cat!" Artemis gave me another one of his looks and nuzzled my leg, indicating that I should stand up. One middle-aged woman who was taking groceries from her car gave me a long, slightly worried look and I cringed. I was going to have to stop doing that in public places.

"So," I said conversationally as we started ambling again, "what do you think about Petunia's message? Too weird, or is there something that I'm missing?"

Artemis suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking up at me with an expression I can only define as feline surprise. His next noise sounded like a question, and I figured he was asking me what the message had said. I realized that I was accepting Artemis as a human-type companion and I wondered if that made me insane. Then I wondered why I didn't care.

"Well..."I said thoughtfully, "It said: You may find me with the chickens. Now really, how am I supposed to know what that means? Is there a country called chicken? Maybe she means Turkey...that's sort of a chicken, isn't it?" I wasn't even really looking at Artemis as I rambled. I just followed his white form as he kept just a few paces ahead of me. "I can't even stand chickens in the first place. I mean, after Cluck-U, I'll never be able to look at them the same way again...dead, or alive."

"Hey, you listening?" I said, looking down at Artemis. He just flicked his tail. "Fine," I grumbled. "See if I ever tell you something again." He let out a meow that sounded curiously like a chuckle and I smiled.

"Where are we going?" I asked after a couple of minutes. It seemed as though we were heading downtown. Artemis just tossed his head forward.

"I'm not sure I want to do this," I said. I really didn't want to expose myself to all of trendy Georgetown looking the way I did at that moment. After a moment, though, I shook my head. What did I care what stupid people on the street thought anyway? I had a mission, and my appearance did not factor greatly into it. The solid weight of Mamoru's chain around my neck lent me added determination, and I walked with a purposeful air to my stride. After the perspiration under my arms spread to other, more noticeable parts of my body, Artemis stopped.

"Have we made it to grandma's house yet?" I said, resting my back on a nearby wall for support. God, I was tired, not to mention thirsty. Next time I did this, I was going to have to remember to bring some water with me. Artemis just flopped on the pavement, apparently waiting for something.

"Well? What did you want me to see?" Artemis closed his eyes. I barely restrained myself from cursing. I roughly peeled my back from the wall, and paced down the sidewalk. We were on M Street, one of the main roads in Georgetown, but I didn't care about the stares. I thought, as I stared across the street, that this area looked eerily familiar. I looked back at Artemis, but he had every appearance of sleeping soundly. I looked up in annoyance.

And realized where I was.

I was facing the yellow-tinted gates of hell itself: Cluck-U Chicken.

---------------------

I stared in mesmerized horror for a good two minutes, really unable to believe that Artemis had had the gall to take me here.

"What's the point!" I shouted to his recumbent frame after I had finally regained a proper level of outrage. Artemis ignored me, looking like he planned to stay there for a while.

"Stupid cat," I muttered, eyeing the doors warily. My instincts told me to run as far away as quickly as I could, but some demented curiosity made me stay. Artemis _had_ to have a reason for dragging me here, I reasoned. A customer opened the door to leave, the smell of greasy chicken wafting after him. I controlled my gag reflex almost by habit, still staring intently.

"Why'd you bring me here?" I muttered, looking for some sort of clue. When I finally did see it, I couldn't believe how blind I had been for the past ten minutes.

Reaching far back into the suppressed memories of my time at Cluck-U, I recalled the one thing that had consistently made Harvey livid was the battle he fought with the travel agency next door. The agency always advertised every possible vacation spot with a seemingly infinite supply of travel posters. You could hardly see in through their glass windows and doors because they were so plastered with pictures of tropical beaches featuring catchy slogans like "You've never seen paradise until you've seen the Bahamas." Sometimes, they advertised for places I'd never even heard of, or places I couldn't imagine anyone would want to visit (what, exactly, is the appeal of touring Pittsburgh?) This, however, was not what made Harvey mad enough to lock himself in his office and talk to his troll collection. No, the problem was that said travel agency was in the habit of taking extra posters and placing them upon the pristine yellow-tinted windows of Cluck-U Chicken. Invariably, they did so at night, making Harvey livid at work the next day while he telephoned the agency to scream at them once again. Apparently, since I had quit, nothing had happened to change this practice, because I was staring straight at a huge travel poster, plastered unbecomingly on Harvey's window.

This, however, was really odd. It was almost three in the afternoon, and Harvey always took these posters down in the morning as soon as he came to work. Could he be sick? It was unlikely; Harvey bragged that hadn't skipped a day since he took over management four years ago. So, why had he left this one poster up? And why, now that I thought about it, weren't there any other posters? I had never known the agency to use only one when they could plaster five. I took a closer look at the poster. I was not surprised that I had never heard of the exotic locale advertised, but something about the logo and the picture below it gave me an unsettling feeling of recognition. The image depicted several half-naked forms seated around a huge bonfire, decked with what I could only assume to be native regalia. It was eerie, not inviting, and I could not imagine who had been possessed to put it on a travel poster. On the top, I read: "Yap: Discover Your Magic."

"My god." I breathed, my heart beating fast and my mind racing. This must have been what Petunia meant when she told me to find her with the chickens. Petunia was in Yap--wherever that was--and I had to get her, somehow.

"Artemis!" I scooped him up unceremoniously, "Thank you _so_ much!" I said, hugging him close. He swatted at me playfully, but I detected a particularly self-satisfied expression on his face, and he began to purr.

"Don't worry, Mamoru!" I shouted as I ran sprinting back up the street, towards my house. "I'm coming!"

---------------------

I called as soon as I got back home.

"Flower Travel Agency." A clipped but polite female voice said.

"Hi!" I said brightly. "I saw your poster about Yap, and I've decided that I really want to go there."

"Really?" said the voice, pleased and surprised. There was a rustling of papers on the other end and the sound of drawers opening and closing. "We highly recommend it as a place for vacationers who want the rough outdoors and pristine island setting."

"Oh, yes. That sounds positively ideal. But...um, where exactly is it?"

She gave a bright and exquisitely false peal of laughter. "Oh, of course, Yap isn't very well known. It's located off the coast of Australia, part of the Federated States of Micronesia. So, when did you want to go?"

"Immediately, actually."

"Immediately? Well, this is a good season...but airplane tickets will be high this close to the date."

"Oh, that's okay," I said, waving my hand airily like I did this every day. "Money is no object." I could practically feel her surprised satisfaction.

"Well..." Her manicured nails tapped a keyboard at a good seventy words per minute. "It seems that the earliest flight I have is for tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. It goes to Hawaii, and from there you can take the weekly flight to Guam. From Guam it's a simple matter of hiring a boat to Yap." That didn't sound simple at all, I thought nervously. It sounded more like an expedition, and I was getting tired of expeditions. I grit my teeth. I had gotten myself into this situation, and I would see it through and I hadn't lost my sense of adventure entirely.

"What day does the flight from Hawaii leave?" I asked, suddenly remembering Mina. Hawaii would be a perfect place to leave her while I went on ahead. She would definitely find ways to enjoy herself until I came back, which made me feel somewhat less guilty about abandoning her.

"Well, the weekly flight leaves every Sunday morning, and you will arrive in Hawaii on Friday around noon. Should I book a hotel for your layover, miss?"

Perfect, I thought with a particularly cat-like smile of satisfaction. "Sure, please, the best hotel you can find." Mina was paying, right? And she was the one who would reap the benefits, in any case. Having money was a great deal of fun, I realized. I ought to take steps to make this a more permanent condition.

"Of course, miss. Well, we highly recommend the exclusive Shoreland hotel. It has the unique set up of private bungalows with full maid and room service, all connected to a main hotel that features all sorts of entertainment for its guests. Absolutely top quality."

I couldn't help but smile in excitement. "That's perfect, absolutely wonderful. As a matter of fact, could you possibly reserve a bungalow for the rest of the season? I might want to stay there on my way back from Yap." Meaning, I needed a place for Mina to stay while I traipsed halfway across the world to enter another dimension. The rest of the conversation passed without a hitch. I booked a cheaper hotel in Yap since I wasn't even sure if I would need to use it. When asked for a payment method I just gave her Mina's credit card number. It was all so blindingly simple, really. She said I could come by for the plane tickets and our reservation numbers later that afternoon. I hung up the phone, feeling as though I'd accomplished the impossible. Now all I had to do was transfer my money into Mina's bank account and pack.

I made the painful transfer with a grimace, but it went through. I kept a hundred dollars for myself, just for an emergency and last-minute airport shopping. Returning home from the bank, I suddenly realized that my job, the one I was supposed to have, had been neglected all day and there would be one very angry cat awaiting me. I quickly fished her key out of my pocket and ran inside the door, praying that Jeannie had not torn any of Petunia's furniture in her frustration. Thankfully, Jeannie was in the kitchen, meowing mournfully, but otherwise calm. I tossed her food in her bowl with far less precision than I am sure she was used to, but she overcame her fastidiousness rather quickly. Cleo and Pump, obviously, could take care of themselves for the duration of my "vacation," but Jeannie was another matter entirely. For lack of a better plan, I waited until she finished eating and picked her up. She fought at first, but realizing that I was serious, relaxed in my arms. I tried not to run as I locked the door behind me and went into our apartment.

Mina had finally arrived when I opened the door. I knew this because clothes, suitcases and shopping bags were strewn everywhere, not because I saw her blonde head.

"May!" I called. "Where are you?"

"In here," she said from her bedroom. I held a squirming Jeannie in my right arm and opened Mina's door with my left. She stood in the middle of a pile of strewn clothes.

"Do you think I should bring this bathing suit or this one?" she asked me, holding up two virtually identical purple suits.

"Listen, Mina, I need your help," I said. She looked up in mild surprise. "Hey, isn't that Petunia's cat?" she asked.

"Yes. It's the only one that can't live on its own. Do you know of anyone who can take care of it for a while?"

"Well...um..." She pondered for a while. "I know! Engie can take her! He just_loves_ cats. I'm sure he'll do it."

I smiled at the thought. "That would be wonderful. Do you think you could go take her over yourself?"

"Well...I suppose it might be nice to say goodbye to Engie." I saw the familiar dreamy look in her eyes and sighed. "All right, sure. Just give me a minute, okay?"

Tired of struggling with her, I let go of Jeannie and hoped she wouldn't damage too many of Mina's clothes.

"Well, don't you want to know where we're going?"

"Oh right," she said, dropping the suits. "I forgot that we hadn't decided yet. Oh, Serena, I'm _so_ excited about this trip. It will be so much fun, don't you think?"

I forced a smile. "We are going to the beautiful, pristine island of Hawaii. We even have our own bungalow and everything, and I hear they've got plenty of hot guys there." I winked at her and she just smiled knowingly.

"Wow, Serena, I just knew you'd come through. So," she said, picking up the suits again. "Which one?"

---------------------

It continued like that for the rest of the night, save a short break when I picked up the tickets and Mina dropped Jeannie off at Engie's and stayed for a protracted goodbye. By the time we were through, Mina had three huge suitcases stuffed with various "necessary" items and I had one modest duffel bag. I only needed enough clothing to get to Yap, after all. I couldn't wear normal clothes in Mamoru's world, or I'd be singled out immediately. I'd packed plenty of books for the plane and boat rides--absolute necessities--and some clean clothes. Finally, around two in the morning, Mina declared herself finished, and we went to sleep.

Finally alone, I had a chance to look at the journal. I knew that Mamoru had had it with him when I left, and I prayed that Ushiro and his men hadn't discovered it. I was desperate to know what had happened after I left. More for romance than practicality, I turned on my flashlight, huddled under my sheets and began to read.

---------------------

The Ninth Day of the Horse Moon:

This girl dropped out of the sky today. She calls herself Serena, and she came here completely naked. I'll admit I was shocked when I walked back into the clearing after scouting and found her in front of the fire. I don't know where she comes from, or how she got here, but she's obviously a foreigner. She looks vaguely Hokusai, but she is completely unfamiliar with our ways. I suppose that I ought to have been more cautious than I was. She could have easily been a spy for the Kojin. I don't quite know why, but I suppose that I trust her. She simply looked far too vulnerable to be threatening. Genro thinks that I'm a fool to trust her. He thinks we should leave her in the forest where we found her. He may be right, but I think it would weigh on my conscience too much if I left her. Besides, I don't know how much to credit this 'vision' of hers, but she apparently came warn me of an attack at the pass. Of course, I had already figured it out by then. She was absolutely livid when I told her that, actually. She had apparently envisioned herself as some sort of savior.

I'm extremely curious about her, but I haven't asked her where she came from or how she knew my name. One would think, after all I have been through, that I would have lost my ability to trust anyone. I suppose that some people just seem too honest for even me to disbelieve them.

Though she meant well, I can't let this threat change our course. We simply cannot spare the time to go around by sea. We all know how quickly the plague is spreading. Although the mountains and forests have isolated us for the past week, I can feel death around us. I can't understand why the Kojin has continued this; sometimes I think that he would even if the Princess hadn't disappeared. Speed is the only chance we have of fighting him. I only hope that I am making the right decision. At this point in my quest, my death would do no good at all. Ashitare came up with a rather ingenious plan, however. Perhaps it will work, and if it doesn't, I'll make sure that Serena is safe.

I'm laughing again. Of all the ways that I expected to spend this evening, feeding noodles to a blonde foreigner who dropped naked from the sky was not one of them.

Mamoru

---------------------

My hand holding the flashlight shook. On one hand, I was inexplicably happy to know that he had trusted me enough to travel with him even though I could have been an enemy. On the other, I was extremely peeved at his characterization of me. Some sort of savior? How would he know how it felt to go through all that trouble only to find out that it was unnecessary? Since he wasn't here to yell at, I flipped to the next page. The next entry was dated two days later, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was alive.

---------------------

The Eleventh Day of the Horse Moon:

---------------------

I've been captured by the Kojin's men, led by a particularly odious character named Ushiro. They haven't found this journal yet. Thankfully, I was able to give the most important thing--my mother's necklace--to Serena just before they took me. Ashitare and Genro have escaped. I hope that they'll return home like they promised. Someone needs to protect our village.

It appears that the Kojin's men are planning to take me the rest of the way to Mirror. For what purpose, I can only imagine. Perhaps more exquisite tortures than constant harassment await me in their notorious dungeons. I believe they have cracked a few ribs, not to mention that cut on my arm. At least they don't make me walk, although I doubt the omission is out of mercy. More likely, they are in a greater hurry to arrive. Serena gravely wounded Ushiro, but the Kojin must have given him more magic than that one amulet, because the smell of peppermint has been rank the past two days. They carry him on a litter, his neck bandaged thickly. I can't help but feel triumphant when I look at him. Serena is almost frighteningly brave, but no one can say that it didn't pay off. I'm afraid for Serena if he survives, though. He will demand a bloody vengeance for that wound. She also killed one of his favored men, his nephew, I believe. I hope she has the sense to stay out of his way. That is, of course, if she ever comes back.

I knew that she was a foreigner, but I admit that I was surprised when she told me that she was from another world entirely. She faded right in front of my eyes! She owes me practically nothing, but I entrusted her with my most important possession, and I can only hope that she will come back to find me. Strange, how a girl I met two days ago has suddenly become my only hope of success. To think that a mere six months ago, I didn't even believe in magic. Then I find out I am somehow the bastard son of a king, that the king's trusted advisor is in fact a magician...that his magic smells like _peppermint_.It looks like one of the men has woken up. I must put this away.

Mamoru

---------------------

It was nice to know that, for once, someone needed me instead of other way around. That, more than anything, made me feel more secure with my decision. I lay across his journal and fell into a thoroughly dreamless sleep.

---------------------

Mina dragged me from my bed at five in the morning.

"I've only gotten three hours of sleep," I said as I put a pillow over my head to block out the light.

"Don't worry, you can sleep on the plane. Now, come on, get up!" She pulled the covers off of me, and I curled in a ball, shivering in my pajamas.

"Leave me alone!" I moaned, wondering what on earth had possessed me to schedule a flight at seven in the morning.

"Don't tempt me, Serena! I refuse to miss the plane, I really want to go to Hawaii. If you don't get up right now, I'm going to have to break out the big guns."

I grunted. "Yeah, like what?" I asked, trying to find where she'd tossed my covers without opening my eyes. I felt her move around to the side of my bed, but I didn't realize what she was aiming for until it was too late.

"Hey, Artemis!" she called. "Do you want some of these yummy Godiva chocolates? Come here!"

I leaped out of the bed, grabbing madly for my box of prized chocolates held in her hands. I looked around for Artemis, but I didn't see him.

"You--you!" I spluttered.

"Hah!" She smiled. "I knew it would work. Now get dressed, I told the airport shuttle to pick us up at 5:30."

I shoved her out of my room and slammed the door behind me. Had to give her credit for ingenuity. Waking me up at any time, let alone this early, usually required some original methods. I put on a sundress and looked around my room for anything I might have forgotten. Mamoru's journal was still lying pages down on my bed. I really must be tired, I thought as I stuffed it inside of my purse along with some aspirin. I dragged my bag to the front door, and put its insignificant mass next to Mina's colossal pile of luggage. I walked slowly, rubbing my eyes, to the kitchen. I realized that an interesting smell was wafting towards my nose, and I perked up a little.

"What am I smelling?"

"Oh, I decided to make pancakes in honor of our vacation. Want some?" She held out a huge stack of heavily buttered pancakes. You always know when Mina is really excited about something, because she suddenly stops worrying about the fat grams. As usual, the smell of such delicious food went straight to my head, and I nodded eagerly. Feeling far less exhausted, I poured maple syrup all over my plate, and quickly stuffed the pancakes into my mouth.

"Yummy!" I said past the food, and Mina smiled proudly.

"I figured I had to get in here before you decided to cook."

"Hey!" I shouted with mock-indignation, playfully tossing a bit of my pancake at her. I suppose that wasn't the most intelligent idea, because soon we were tossing them back and forth, and plastering the kitchen with pancakes and syrup in the process.

"Um, May?" I said, ducking behind a counter for momentary protection. "It's almost 5:30, and we need to clean up the kitchen."

She put her hand behind her head. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, come out from there and help me."

Cautiously, I vacated my protective area, and seeing that she really wasn't about to goo me again, helped clean up the mess. I wondered why Artemis, my little shadow, hadn't tried to bum some pancakes off of us, but I figured that he didn't like waking up early anymore than I did.

The sound of the airport taxi honking at our front door informed us that it was time to depart. I went to the door, but Mina ran back towards her bedroom.

"What are you getting now?" I asked. She reemerged with a basket, of all things. "What's that?" I said.

"Oh, I packed a lunch for us, since plane food is supposed to be so bad."

Well, that wasn't such a bad idea, I thought. "All right, well come on, we've got to load the stuff in the taxi."

I finally made it to the door after the driver had rung the doorbell a second time, and was tapping his feet anxiously. In ten minutes everything was loaded and we were on our way to Dulles Airport, headed towards adventure.

"Fun, sun and boys!" Mina said happily.

Plagues, amulets and Mamoru, I thought to myself.

Funny how we were both equally happy about it.

---------------------

We had to check our bags in front, because there was no way anyone could drag Mina's colossus any further. Mina blithely ignored the look of pain the attendants gave her as they hauled the overstuffed suitcases onto the scale. She tipped them liberally, paid our driver, and we made our way to our gate. It was still thirty minutes until boarding time, so I sat down and pulled out my book. Almost as soon as Mina sat down, however, she stood up again, and started pacing the floor. I tried to ignore her, but she was making me nervous.

"Will you sit down? What's wrong with you?"

"Well...um..." She trailed off, looking at me uncertainly.

"Well, what?"

"I've..." She leaned in closer to me. "I've never ridden a plane before."

"Really?" I said. "Don't worry, Mina. It's perfectly safe. In fact, we've got first class tickets, so it ought to be fun."

"Okay," she said slowly, sitting down. Really, you have to wonder how someone as rich as Mina had never ridden an airplane before. Within the next ten minutes they called the first class passengers, and Mina picked up her basket. It looked really heavy, actually. I wondered what kind of lunch she had packed. I handed our tickets to the attendant, who flashed a well-trained smile and led us inside. This was a 747, so first class was on the upper deck. My eyes grew round as saucers when I saw the set up they had for us. Being thoroughly inured to the rigors of coach-class travel, I felt as though I had suddenly walked onto the set of Mission Impossible. The seats were wide enough to fit two sumo wrestlers. Each set of two was in its own little compartment, separated by fine velour curtains. There were personal televisions tucked underneath our seats and portable CD players attached to headphones. The best part was that we and another elderly couple were the only people in first class.

"This is great!" Mina said.

"No shit." Money definitely had its perks. My decision to be a history major was looking dumber and dumber. The stewardess, politely ignoring our conversation, showed us to our seats. I took the one next to the window, since Mina still felt a little leery of flying. I loved the view from airplanes anyway, and it was sure to be more enjoyable without a screaming baby behind me. This time would be different. It would be relaxing, luxurious, wonderful...I snuggled deeper into the plush chair and closed my eyes. Yeah, this was the life...

"Artemis," I heard Mina whisper. "You can come out now."

I smiled. "Mina," I said, "Stop joking around. I didn't bring my chocolates with me."

Then I felt it. A furry, wet nose that certainly did not belong to Mina nuzzled my arm, and my eyes flew open.

"Oh, shit," I said succinctly, following that with an entire stream of sotto-voce expletives. "This is not happening to me." I rubbed my temples. "This is just _not_ happening to me."

"Mina," I said, looking in her scared blue eyes. "You _have_ to tell the stewardess that you need to get rid of your cat, right now. I don't care what excuse you give her, but he just can't come!"

"Why not?" she asked, holding onto Artemis tightly. Didn't she have any idea how much trouble we could get into?

"They have rules about pets, May! Listen, just go talk to her..." I trailed off when I heard the sounds of the engines starting and felt the plane start its taxi to the runway. Of course, it was too late. It was always too late. I buried my head in my hands and prayed that we wouldn't get deported immediately. Serves me right for bringing Mina along, I thought.

"Um...Serena? Are you okay?" she asked, touching my shoulder lightly.

"Yeah," I sighed. Why rail against it? "May?" I said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Just tell me, how did you get through the detectors with Artemis in the basket?"

"Oh, that!" She giggled. "I just stuffed him inside my jacket."

"Right," I said, looking out the window. With a burst of speed, the plane got ready for take off. Mina gripped my arm tightly, but I barely paid attention.

So much for an enjoyable trip.

---------------------

I spent the hours on the plane trying to distract myself, but my books had lost their interest. Mina chattered incessantly about what she would do when we arrived.

"Mina," I asked when we were an hour away. "Is there any way that you can keep people from finding out about Artemis in Hawaii?"

"Oh, sure, Serena! Don't worry about it. I've got a plan and everything, and Artemis understands." Funny how she thought of Artemis as an almost-human, too. "I'm really sorry about all this. I just didn't know."

"It's all right, Mina," I said.

---------------------

All too soon, we landed in Hawaii, and it was time for us to get off the plane. I tried not to let the extreme nervousness that I felt work its way into my expression, but it was difficult. I smiled at the stewardess' as we left. I walked slowly up the exit ramp, trying to forestall the inevitable as long as possible. Mina was delighted when two people on either side of the exit gave us leis, a rather unappealing shade of pink for her and yellow for me. I smiled mechanically and plodded towards customs.

"You still got that plan?" I asked. Could you go to jail for failing to declare pets?

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Serena. It's all under control."

I felt tempted to roll my eyes, but didn't want to jinx whatever idea she had. As we approached the line, I saw about twenty chickens in straw covered crates, just sitting in the middle of the floor. They squawked and smelled terrible, but no one else seemed to notice them. People walked past, and didn't comment or even look.

"May? Do you see those chickens?" I asked.

She wrinkled her nose. "They smell awful. Why doesn't someone do something with them?"

Well, either Mina and I were crazy or every body else was disturbingly uncurious. I couldn't shake the feeling that they were looking at me.

"Come on, Mina. Let's get it over with," I said, shoving her forward into the shortest line. That line, unfortunately, happened to be right in front of the chickens."Do you have anything to declare?" A tired-looking woman asked us from behind the raised counter.

"Um...no," I said, trying to keep uneasiness out of my voice and failing dismally."What's in that basket?" she asked sharply. Artemis must have moved because it shook a little.

"Oh, nothing!" Mina said brightly. "It's just some food I packed for our trip."

The lady frowned, and I wilted. What now? "We have strict food laws here. We can't allow any fruit with diseases that might harm the indigenous flora. Give me that basket, ma'am. I'll probably have to get rid of it."

"Oh no!" Mina cried, clutching it closer.

I looked at her in disbelief. Now is _not_ the time to start your acting debut, May! "It's a family heirloom. I couldn't possibly bear to part with it."

"We won't throw away the basket, ma'am. Just the food. Give it to me, and I'll see to it that you get it back in due time."

Great, I felt like taking up my lot with the chickens

"Um...well..." Mina stuttered, obviously out of ideas. This was a _plan_? Serves me right for trusting a girl who'd never ridden on a plane before. She'd just lived way too sheltered of a life for me to trust her with anything "real-world."

Tiring of Mina's equivocation, the lady plucked the basket from her arms, and gasped in surprised when Artemis poked his head out. Oh great, I thought, bracing myself, here it comes.

But she didn't say a word. The chickens stopped squawking, stopped moving and turned in unison towards the lady. She looked between them and me uncertainly, as though she had just noticed the chickens. I saw her pupils dilate and I found that I couldn't move. In a second it was over.

"Sure...go on through," she said slowly, shaking her head as if to clear it.

Although I didn't understand what had just happened, I didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing Mina and the basket, I walked out of customs quickly. I didn't want to know what would happen when the woman realized what she had done.

"What the hell just happened, Serena?" Mina asked, panting as we rode the escalator down to baggage pick-up.

"I don't know. I really don't. Just make sure that Artemis stays in that basket until we get to the hotel, and we might survive this, after all." Mina nodded in a business like manner, and we went to find our luggage.

---------------------

After several close calls--did Artemis _want_ to get quarantined?--and a minor battle as we struggled to get Mina's luggage onto a cart and into the taxi, we were on our way out of the airport and far from the strange telepathic chickens. When we arrived at the hotel, porters scurried to take our bags from the taxi and open the large blue-tinted glass doors. The only thing they failed to do was roll out a red carpet. It was enough to make me forget about our harrowing experience of an hour ago.

"Wow," Mina said. "You sure know how to travel, Serena."

Money knows how to travel, I amended. I'd never have been able to afford this on my own, but Mina was a good friend to have. We walked to the check-in counter. The clerk behind it was a woman who possessed an ethnic beauty and a bright smile that I'm sure brought her many tips from customers.

"Ah! Welcome to the Shoreland Hotel, Miss Campbell and Miss Aino. I'm sure you will enjoy your stay here at our exclusive resort. Let's see...I have you registered for the Paradise Island bungalow for the rest of the season. It's one of our best," she said as she handed us the keys, "Just ask for Aleya if there are any problems."

"Thank you," I said, eager to just lie down and sleep.

"And be sure to check out the Moonlight lounge tonight. Persimmon, the local phenomenon Japanese jazz band is scheduled to play. It ought to be packed, and if you like jazz, they're an experience."

Mina's eyes grew glassy, and I knew with a sinking feeling that I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. Mina loved jazz and she hated going to parties alone.

"That sounds wonderful," Mina said, even as I discreetly tugged on her elbow.

"Would you like a brochure?"

Mina grabbed it from her fingers almost before she could hand it to her. After considerable cajoling, I managed to drag Mina into our bungalow.

The hotel had an interesting design. Each bungalow was partially secluded, with palm trees lining the graveled pathways to the doors. Inside, of course, they were filled with every conceivable amenity, but it was nice having the impression of roughing it without the inconvenience. As soon as I closed the door behind us, Mina let Artemis out of the basket and he ran around the room several times, grateful for the chance to stretch his legs. I walked straight past the sitting room to the beds and sprawled on the mercifully soft mattress.

"Serena?" Mina said, walking into the room.

"Don't say anything, Mina. Just leave me alone," I said, eyes still closed.

"But, Serena--"

"I mean it, May! I'm tired. Let me just lie here and sleep."

"Come on! We're on vacation, you know! We need have fun, and I think the perfect way to have fun is to--"

"No, I am not going to that jazz concert tonight. You can go oggle the hotties by yourself."

I had opened my eyes half way at this point, and I could tell by the way that Mina had pursed her lips that she wasn't about to give up. I sighed and rolled over. Mina could put up a good fight, but I was notoriously stubborn. We would see who won.

---------------------

"Hey, listen to this!" Mina said for the fifth time in the past hour.

"No!" I groaned, pressing the pillow over my head. Mina ignored me.

"'Kintaro Furuhara, age twenty five, is the award winning vocalist and guitarist of this five-man jazz band. Born in Osaka, Japan, he moved to Hawaii with his family at age six. He attended Stanford University on full scholarship, and then decided to go back to his home of Hawaii to pursue his dream career of being a jazz musician.'"

Mina giggled happily and held the brochure close to her chest. "Doesn't he sound wonderful? I've just got to meet him, Serena!"

"Fine, go meet him," I said, but my resolve was weakening.

"But I can't just go alone, and don't you dare say I can. I mean, what kind of girl walks into a jazz concert all alone? I _need_ you there, Serena. Please, please, please? I know you like jazz, so don't tell me you don't."

"I'm tired!" It was more of a wail than a logical statement.

Mina knew she had me. "Fine," she said, pouting. "Don't go. Abandon me, then."

"Obnoxious girl," I said, tossing a pillow at her. "You knew I'd go."

"Of course," she said smugly, "But I couldn't tell you that, now could I?"

---------------------

Mina entered the Moonlight Café in full regalia. The only reason I looked decent was because Mina had condescended to lend me something of hers for the occasion. As she put it, she didn't want to be seen with a "fashion misfit." I took it as a compliment. We had arrived half an hour early at Mina's insistence--she wanted good seats--but the room was already filling up. It looked as though locals as well as hotel patrons were attending. They must really be good, I thought, impressed. I liked jazz, but Mina had an all-consuming passion for it. We sat at a table near the front, Mina's eyes eagerly searching the stage for a glimpse of the musicians. Looking at her, I promised myself to take her on a real vacation some time. I still didn't know how to tell her I was leaving in two days. Before I could delve deeper into that unpleasant topic, the band walked on stage.

By now, the room was packed with spectators crowding the hallways and doors. A huge cheer went up when they took their places. I had to agree with Mina's assessment, though. Kintaro was far and away the hottest member, and the others weren't bad looking. He walked up to the mike, picked up his guitar, and gave a dangerously charming smile to the audience. I'll admit I was growing a little short of breath looking at him, but Mina had an expression of absolute adoration on her face. For a second I knew, with astounding clarity, that she would fall in love with him, but as quickly as the feeling had come it left. Why on earth would I think that, anyway? Mina dated as many guys as there were days of the week, each day of the week. Just because she thought one guy was hot didn't mean anything, but the conviction came back again, stronger than ever.

The music was definitely worth listening to. Without any introduction the band burst into a fast number that showcased all of their talents, but both Mina and I were most impressed by Kintaro's almost warp-speed jazz guitar playing. The guy was an absolute prodigy, and I could see why they had packed the concert hall tonight. Mina looked frantically for him during the intermission, but a solid wall of fans surrounded the stage. During the second half, he looked at Mina directly, and she blushed under his attention. I was shocked when he sang a love song almost entirely to her. As for Mina, she looked like she had gone to heaven. When the concert finally finished, far into the night, she gave him a hugely enthusiastic standing ovation. He smiled and winked at her before he left the stage. She would have fallen over if the table hadn't been there to catch her.

"Oh God," she said, her hand over her heart, breathing heavily. "I'm in love."

And although I'm usually the first one, I didn't dispute it. We hung around, hoping that Kintaro would send some message. Just as we were about to give up, a bellhop came up to us and handed Mina a white lily.

"Mr. Furuhara told me to give this to you. He wonders if he could meet you."

"Where?" she said, her voice several octaves higher than normal.

"He suggested an all night coffee shop in the city. If you agree, he could give you a ride."

"Yes, of course! Where is he?"

As if on cue he walked into the room, and smoothly tipped the bellhop.

"Thanks, sir, but I think I'll take it from here." The man nodded and walked away. I looked at the tableau in front of me, feeling a mixture of happiness for Mina and jealousy that this wasn't happening to me.

"I couldn't help but notice you in the audience. My name is--"

"Kintaro," she finished, her eyes glassy.

"Yours?" he asked softly.

"Mina."

He held her hand gently and smiled in that radiant way of his. "Will you come with me?"

She nodded silently, and he led her out the doors and towards a realm I did not know.

Damn, I thought. Mina really does get everything.

---------------------

She had not yet returned when I awoke that afternoon. Artemis and I went out on the beach together where I opened Mamoru's journal, but unfortunately, nothing was written. I tried not to assume the worst; it made sense that he couldn't write in it every day without discovery. It didn't mean that he was desperate, or dying, or already dead because I hadn't saved him sooner. I felt guilty and frightened that I was sitting on this pristine beach, under a huge umbrella getting a tan while the one guy who really needed my help could be dead, or worse. I had to do something, but I knew intellectually that I had done all I could. For now, all I could do was sit and wait and hope that he survived until I got there. I snoozed through most of the day, petting Artemis idly, trying not to believe the gory images of torture in my imagination.

Mina returned late that night. As soon as she closed the door behind her she let out a whoop of joy, dragging me off the couch and waltzing with me across the floor.

"I guess you had a good time."

"You have no idea, Serena. No idea at all. I am so desperately in love...oh Kintaro!" She held her heart, yet I sensed a genuine feeling in the gesture that had nothing to do with Mina's natural streak of drama.

"I'm really happy for you." I said, smiling. If only that awful pain in my stomach would go away, I thought, so I wouldn't have to wonder when or if this would ever happen to me.

"Serena," she said, turning, and looking seriously at me. "We have to talk."

"Yes we do," I agreed, remembering my trip tomorrow morning. We sat on the couch together.

"You go first," I said. I still hadn't quite worked out a plan.

"Okay. Well...Serena, I know this vacation was meant for just the two of us, and I really wanted it to be. It's just...now that I've found Kintaro all I want to do is spend my time with him, and he's leaving to go on tour really soon. So..." She trailed off, looking at me uncertainly. I almost laughed, but restrained myself. So much for coming up with a reason! She was doing my dirty work for me.

"You want me to go for a couple weeks, you mean?" I asked, trying to sound serious.

"Could you? I'm so sorry. I'll get you another hotel and everything...it's just..."

"Hey, don't worry!" I said enthusiastically. "I totally understand. And don't worry about me, I've already made other plans." I winked at her.

"Oh, Serena! I knew you'd understand!" She hugged me tightly, and I smiled. Now I didn't feel guilty at all.

"I've got to get some sleep, though, Mina," I said, extracting myself and standing up. "My flight leaves tomorrow morning."

"Oh! Where are you going?"

"To meet an old friend."

---------------------

That morning, I told Artemis in no uncertain terms that he was not to screw up my life anymore. To give the little guy credit, he didn't look much inclined to take this particular trip with me, for which I was grateful. He gave a little meow of goodbye, and I smiled at him.

"I'll miss you, you little fur ball," I said, sniffing a little. I didn't know how long I would be gone this time. "Watch Mina, will you? We both know how she can get sometimes." Artemis nodded and made a motion with his head, as if telling me to get going.

"All right, all right!" I laughed. I blew him a kiss as I left, toting my bag over my shoulder, ready for the final leg of my journey.

---------------------

The ride to Guam was uneventful, something that I fully needed, considering what I was up against when I arrived. Thankfully, no visas are needed for Guam or Micronesia, so I went through customs easily. It was late afternoon, and I had to find the docks so that I could hire a boat to take me to Yap. I hailed a taxi, fighting a sudden surge of nervousness. So close to my goal, I could hardly stand the wait.

The ride was ridiculously overpriced, but I didn't feel like haggling. My stomach was growling, I went to a fruit vendor and bought a bunch of bananas and some mangoes. Then I made my way over to the bustling docks. I realized that I probably should have made reservations with a more trusted liner, but I wasn't overly concerned with such traveler's issues right now. So long as I got there, it was okay with me.

I stopped a dark man with graying sideburns who was walking the opposite direction down the docks.

"Um, sir, excuse me. Do you know what boat I can take to Yap?"

He eyed me curiously. "The tourist boat left an hour ago," he said with a thick accent. "The only other boat that's leaving today is over there." He cocked his head, indicating the far side of the docks, where the merchant ships landed.

"Do they take passengers?" I asked.

"For a price."

And before I could ask him any more questions, he pushed past me. Well, I thought equably, readjusting my duffel bag. I'll just have to take what I can get. I walked to the end of the dock until I saw the ship the man had gestured to. From the smell, I guessed that its cargo was some kind of livestock. When I saw what kind of livestock, however, I wanted nothing more than to turn and run as far away as I could.

Why do I always get mixed up with chickens?

---------------------

I walked up to the edge of the boat and called to the closest sailor.

"Um, excuse me, but could you give me a ride to Yap?" I asked.

He frowned and jumped lightly off the edge of the ship onto the dock. "Why not use the tourist ship?" he asked.

"It left already. I've got to get there soon." Probably not a good idea to mention the fact that I needed to get there, I realized too late. They would definitely overcharge me now.

"Hmm," he said, stroking his chin. "All right, for fifty American dollars, we'll take you."

I grimaced at the price, but I hadn't spent that much of my money in Hawaii, so I was pretty sure I could pay him. I dumped my duffel bag on the ground and rifled through the side pockets, trying to remember where I had stashed the rest of my money. A minute later, I was still searching and the sailor was tapping his foot.

"Hey lady, I don't got all day. Do you have the money or not?"

"No, I do, I do," I said, still searching. I had about fifteen dollars spending change in my pocket, but I had put the rest of the money in my other wallet.

"Where the hell is it?" I muttered nervously. Could I possibly have left it back in Hawaii? "This can't be happening," I said to no one in particular.

I straightened up. "It's too high--" I began, attempting to bargain, but he cut me off.

"Fifty or nothing. We aren't a passenger boat." I stared at him, open mouthed, incapable of believing that after all of my effort it would end here, on this dock, in front of the chickens.

And then it happened again. The birds stopped their noise, stopped fluttering, and turned in unison towards the sailor. I couldn't move or speak, but I knew what was going on. I saw his pupils dilate, and his face slacken. For a reason that I could not divine, the chickens were protecting me during this trip. And it certainly seemed like I needed it.

"For you, lady, " he said slowly, rubbing his eyes, "ten dollars."

Stunned, I handed him the money and climbed on board. After that, I didn't even mind that nasty chicken smell for the five-hour boat ride. It seemed a small payment for saving my ass two times in three days.

---------------------

When I landed on Yap's principle island, I was first struck by the utter darkness. I was too used to the perpetual twilight of downtown DC. I contemplated trying to find Petunia right now, but I realized that I had no idea where to start--there weren't many people around to answer my questions. I'd probably be better off getting some sleep.

Thankfully, the hotel was only a mile away from the dock. It wasn't as nice as the Hawaiian bungalow, but it was perfectly adequate. All I wanted was a shower and a bed anyway. While I soaked into an almost scalding hot bath, I opened Mamoru's journal, and was relieved to find a new entry.

---------------------

The Thirteenth Day of the Horse Moon:

---------------------

With fast horses and no fear of pursuit, the trip to Mirror from the pass generally takes about four days. We might just kill the horses, but we will make it in three, arriving tomorrow morning. The pain in my ribs is easing, but the pace we are setting would not be easy under ideal circumstances. I can only suppose that Ushiro is the reason for this undue haste; despite the magic, his condition is by no means stable. If I'm lucky, he will die before we arrive, but if he does not, there are famed doctors in Mirror who will most likely save his life. The taunts have mostly died on the lips of my captors. Most are too exhausted after the day's riding to do any more than sleep. I have only managed to stay up tonight out of a sense of duty. I don't understand the Lady's clues, but I can only hope that writing in this journal will bring her closer to us. Serena, as well. If she comes at all, she must come before I've stayed long in Mirror. Otherwise, I'm afraid I may be past help.

Mamoru

"Stay safe, Mamoru," I whispered. "I'm coming"

---------------------

I woke up early that morning, sweating from a nightmare that slipped away as soon as I tried to recall it. Shivering despite the warmth, I climbed out of bed and headed straight into the shower. I figured I ought to get as clean as I could before I left, because there wouldn't be many opportunities for a bath in Umeru. Afterwards, I wrapped my hair in a towel and shuffled through my duffel bag, looking for clothes. I pulled out a pair of unused jeans and a tank top, but I couldn't find unused underwear anywhere.

"I_know_ that I packed four pairs!" I muttered, dumping all the contents on the floor. I'd been under a lot of stress lately in some extremely hot countries...and, well, there was dirty underwear and then there was dirty underwear. Aside from going commando--not the most comfortable idea in jeans--my only option was a pair of blue bikini bottoms, purchased before my current addiction to chocolate and accompanying hip expansion. As I suspected, they gave me a fierce wedgie, but I supposed I would just have to deal with it.

I dressed quickly after that and tucked the amulet safely under my shirt. Trying to ignore abominable itch, I picked up my bag, grabbed the journal and left the room. I checked out downstairs, grateful that I had reserved the room under Mina's credit card since my cash supply had dwindled dangerously low.

I walked to the open-air market, picked a likely looking vendor, and walked up with a large grin on my face.

"Excuse me, have you seen a woman named Petunia? She dresses in very bright colors and she has short, big, blonde hair."

The matronly woman pondered my question for a moment, and then smiled widely. "Of course! You must mean the foreign witch. Everybody knows her."

"Where is she?"

"She's with our...how do you call them? Witch doctor, yes. She has her own island. Only way by water taxi. Say you want the two witches."

I thanked her profusely and made my way back to the docks. A few speedboats in varying states of disrepair idled at the end of the pier. I picked the one that looked least likely to fall apart in the water and approached the man reclining in back.

"Can you take me to the two witches?" I asked.

The man did not seem to think I had said anything strange. "Five American dollars," he said, summing up my accent and my clothing quickly. I handed him the last of my money. Only now, nearly at the end of my journey, did I pause to wonder if my conviction that Petunia was here was only a figment of a desperate imagination. But the lady at the open market had definitely recognized my description, and Petunia wasn't an easy person to mistake.

The man dropped me off on a deserted-looking beach of a very small island. "The two witches are over there." He pointed to a plume of smoke coming from somewhere behind the verdant trees in the center of the island.

"Uh...thank you," I said, looking ahead of me uncertainly. Well, I was almost there, I thought firmly as the man turned his boat around and drove away. I plunged through the forest, and found a well-worn trail. Almost before I was ready, I came into a clearing in the back of a small hut. I was necessarily reminded of my bungalow in Hawaii, but that had been a creation of luxury, whereas this was a creation of necessity. I walked slowly around, finding the source of the smoke. What if she's not there, I wondered frantically. What if...and then I saw her, squatting with another woman. They were both half-naked and covered with paint and beads.

"Petunia?" I called uncertainly. She unfolded herself gracefully, and turned around to face me.

"Serena!" she said, beaming, walking over and putting an arm around my shoulders.

"I've been expecting you."

---------------------

"...so he's in a whole lot of trouble and he gave me this necklace and I just _have_ to get back there and give it to him!" I finished fifteen minutes later. I had to keep telling myself that it wouldn't do to pick my wedgie at the moment.

Petunia smiled. "My dear, I am so very glad you found me, because I can certainly help you a little."

"Will you?" I asked, squirming.

She beamed. "Of course." Her friend had remained silent during our entire exchange, nodding at intervals, but otherwise contributing nothing.

"I'll use the permanent transportation spell, this time. You can stay there as long as you like, this way," Petunia said.

"That's fine," I said. I shifted again, and grimacing. Never again would I forget to pack clean underwear, that's for sure.

"Here," she said, fishing something out of her pocket and handing it to me. "You can use this only in extreme circumstances. I will not guarantee that it can help you...but it may." It took me a second to realize that I was holding a Malibu Barbie doll.

"A Barbie doll?"

"Oh, that," Petunia laughed a little and for the first time in our acquaintance, looked genuinely embarrassed. "I didn't have anything else on hand...so..."

I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything else. Besides, after telepathic chickens and human cats, why couldn't I believe in a magic Barbie doll? It made about as much sense.

Petunia stood up, and I made a failed, furtive grab for my embedded undergarments. "Do you have any questions, Serena?" she asked seriously.

Questions? Sure I did, about twenty thousand, but most could wait.

"You were the one behind all that weird stuff with the chickens, right?"

"Chickens? I arranged for the sign at that store of yours, is that what you're talking about?" Petunia asked. She looked genuinely confused.

"On my way here, these chickens did this weird telepathic mind-control thing and saved me twice. I assumed it was your doing."

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Chickens, Serena? Well, I suppose it's possible...they could be your natural bond-mates."

"My natural _what_?" I asked. I didn't understand what she had said, but sounded appalling.

"Never mind that now. I'll explain when we have more time. Do you have any other questions?"

I thought about it for a moment. "You'll cast the language spell, right?"

Her answering smile was tinged with some inexplicable pride. "Of course. Anything else?"

Yes, there is, I thought, but it kept slipping my mind before I could get it out.

"Well?" Petunia prompted.

"Not that I can think of," I said, unable to shake the feeling that I was missing something important. At some unseen signal, Petunia and her nameless friend stood on opposite sides of the fire with me between them. They closed their eyes and chanted in unison under their breath. I felt myself fading slowly, now an almost familiar sensation. It was strange, I thought, how light I felt. Almost as though I were...oh _shit_.

"Petunia!" I shouted frantically, but the scene before me had already grown fuzzy and indistinct, and her eyes had clouded over in concentration.

"How do I..." but the rest of my question was lost. I landed with a painful thump on cobbled pavement.

"Keep my clothes on." I finished bitterly. "God damn it." I said, wrapping my arms around my naked body.

"I knew I should have packed more clean underwear."


	5. Why I Hated Chiba Mamoru Part I

Author's Note: Thanks to those who've commented on this story so far. You might not believe it from the first three chapters, but this story has some parts with nearly as much angst as _Fire_ :) Starting about now...

I've broken the fourth chapter, since it's so freakin' long, into two parts. Comment and I might put up part two sooner (hint hint).

Book Four: Why I Hated Chiba Mamoru (Part I)

Cursing Petunia, I tried to ignore the growing crowd of people around me. I had apparently landed in a very busy section of a city, in the middle of what looked like some sort of market. Wealthy looking women dressed in kimonos and soldiers along with the poorest in the city stood in a horrified circle around me. I cringed. At first there were only appalled whispers, and shocked faces hidden behind exquisitely painted fans. Gradually the roar of outrage grew, and I could see the crowd closing in upon me.

I gripped Petunia's Barbie doll--now naked, I noticed-- close to my body and felt my neck to reassure myself that Mamoru's amulet was still hanging there. I didn't understand how I could have kept these items and not my clothes, but that was an irony I wasn't in a particularly good position to ponder. I felt the crowd getting bigger, and an unreasoning panic gripped me. I remained huddled and frozen in my place on the ground, until I realized that the people were parting for someone. When I saw the armed guards making steady progress towards me, my legs began to work again and I dashed straight into the crowd behind me. I knew it was hopeless as soon as I did it--the guards were too close and the people were too tightly packed--but I tried anyway. As I plunged through the milling crowd, the more proper ladies reeled away from me and some anonymous hands slapped my naked butt in passing. I gritted my teeth and focused on getting away. Blind panic was setting in now. I had visions of myself in chains, dying in an unknown land, and not even able to help the one man I had returned for. In my haste, I did not notice the hem of a particularly long kimono and crashed painfully onto the cobbled street. I knew that all hope of escape was lost. Even so, I fought wildly as the smartly dressed guards grabbed my arms and dragged me upward. One, who may have been good looking in a different situation, made the tactical error of releasing my arms to hand me a cloak to cover myself. Never being one to squander an opportunity, I raised my now free hand and punched him straight in the nose.

You won't look so pretty next time, I thought smugly as I watched him grip his bleeding face. Almost simultaneously, the butt of a dagger smacked expertly against the back of my head and I passed into oblivion.

---------------------

I awoke shivering on a cold and slimy floor, still clutching Petunia's Barbie doll in a death grip. Mamoru's amulet, I noticed with relief, still hung from my neck. At first I was only aware of my splitting headache and I wondered if the blood I smelled was my own. Groaning, I cracked open my eyes, and promptly closed them again. I _knew_ the room wasn't supposed to sway like that.

"I think I have a concussion," I muttered to the floor, and noted that I was again speaking Mamoru's language. At least _that_ had worked, anyway. I had enough problems without struggling past a language barrier. Realizing that I would accomplish nothing lying on the floor, I struggled to open my eyes. The scene rocked violently for a while, but after a determined effort on my part, my vision stabilized. Gingerly, I sat up and felt the sizeable lump on the back of my head. Honestly, I was going to have to start thinking before I punched people, even if I had been justified in doing it.

I was sitting alone in an absolutely bare cell. The only light came from a grilled window set at an unreachable height in back. It couldn't have been that long since my debacle in the market, I reasoned, since it was still daylight out. Unless, of course, I had slept an entire day. The thought scared me because I knew that time was crucial in my quest, and my stupidity may have cost Mamoru...more than I was willing to think about. The cell itself was extremely small, no more than six feet square, and the thick wooden door in front made escape seem like a fanciful hope.

"Goddamn it!" I said, banging my hands on the slimy stone. It was at that point that I realized I was still naked, although someone had had the decency to cover me with a ratty blanket. I tossed it away angrily, getting to my feet. I fell backward almost immediately and the wall caught me. I grit my teeth and tried again, this time feeling considerably more stable. My headache seemed to have diminished in the wake of my frustration, for which I was grateful.

"This is just not fair!" I said loudly, pacing from wall to wall. Because the room was so short, I could only take about two steps before I had to turn around again. This began to induce feelings of claustrophobia, which only made me even angrier.

"Great!" I shouted to the wall. "Just what I need! Damn Mamoru and his stupid amulet!" I shouted. "Everything I went through for him, just for _this_! It's just not fair! I wasted all of my money, went on a wild goose chase halfway across the world, got tricked by Petunia and now I'm stuck here! I'm _sick_ of being naked!" I felt like crying, but held it back. I didn't need yet another addition to my list of indignities. I took a breath to relaunch my tirade but released it unexpectedly when I heard the muffled sound of someone opening the door. I stumbled as far away as I could. I had not given much thought to my fate in this dungeon up to this point, but I considered it graphically now. I tried to cover myself up but I refused to touch the obviously lice-infested blanket. The door screeched loudly as it was shoved forward. I roughly forced back a whimper, determined to at least _pretend_ to be brave.

"Get away from me!" I said loudly, backing up even further away from the door. I was practically climbing up the wall. The intruder was about to come in, and I knew that I couldn't sit here screaming the whole time. After all, I reasoned, this may be my only chance to escape. That in mind, I positioned myself behind the slowly opening door. My stomach churned so badly that I was forced to suppress the urge to vomit. When the intruder entered the room, his face shadowed beyond distinction, I overcame my terror and planted a well-aimed side kick in his midsection. I heard a distinctly male grunt accompany his fall to the floor.

"See if anyone else messes with _me_, Serena: Avenger of the Innocent," I said giddily. He really must not have been expecting any resistance for me to land a kick so easily.

"Not like I'm complaining," I said to his recumbent frame. His black hair fell over his eyes as he lay there groaning. How hard did I kick him, I wondered as an ominous feeling began to settle in my stomach. Why was I still standing here, anyway? I ought to get out of here as fast as I could and try to find Mamoru. Which was when it hit me.

"Hi, Mamoru," I said, wincing as I knelt next to him. "Sorry about this."

---------------------

I suppose that to an outsider the situation must have been rather amusing. I will admit that I saw the humor, but I tactfully refrained from expressing it. He looked as if he were inches away from punching me himself. From his expression, I knew I had hurt him.

"Serena," he groaned, trying to sit up. "Was it truly necessary to do that?"

"I thought you were a guard!" I said, trying and failing to avoid noticing how gorgeous he looked, despite his twisted expression. "And really," I continued, "you could have said something. And I didn't kick you _that_ hard, don't be a wimp..." I trailed off, slightly breathless as he gave me a pained smile.

"All right, I won't be a wimp. For now, Serena, do you think you could put something on?"

I blushed and I scrambled to my feet to get the blanket, then realized that I was giving him a rather nice view of my butt and sat down again.

"This is ridiculous," I said. Mamoru's smirk didn't help much, either.

"You seem to be in the embarrassing habit of misplacing your clothes. Might I ask why?"

"For someone who just got kicked in the stomach, you're acting mighty cocky."

"For someone who is stark naked, you're acting mighty haughty."

"And to _think_ that I came all this way for you! I should have let you rot!"

He smirked. "I heard. How do you think I discovered you, anyway? You were talking loudly enough for the whole jail to hear you. You're just lucky I came in before one of the guards."

"Yeah, I am," I said angrily. "Lucky, because I got to kick you, instead of one of them!"

"Speaking of the guards..." he said, growing serious suddenly, "if we're going to escape, we must leave now. The guards will be making their rounds any time now, and with all the racket we've been making..."

"You're right," I said. I tried not to show the wave of concern that washed over me when he stood up; he certainly wasn't faking that pained expression. How hard _had_ I kicked him, anyway? I had been too scared to pay attention.

"Are you coming?" he asked, turning towards me. His expression was so sarcastic that I felt all my concern vanish, not without some relief. I never did like having to apologize.

"I refuse to spend any more time like this," I said, sitting firmly on the floor, arms crossed around my chest.

"Fine!" he snapped, and for a terrifying moment I thought he was going to leave me. Instead, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. Whatever problems I might have had with Mamoru's personality, I was beginning to think that his looks more than made up for it. My eyes traced the perfectly sculpted contours of his pectorals. There were some rather lurid bruises around his midsection, however.

Reluctantly, I dragged my eyes from his chest and accepted the proffered shift. When was the last time I had seen a guy that good looking? In fact, had I _ever_ seen a guy that good looking? I sighed and pulled on the oversized gray shift. At least he hadn't noticed where I was staring, I thought as I stood next to him.

"Let's get out of here," he said with a small smile, for once lacking mockery. He grabbed my hand and led me into the dimly lit hallway. The walls were lined with smoky torches at regular intervals between rows of closed doors. Mamoru closed the door to my cell gently, but any sound he might have made was easily covered by a terrified scream that echoed eerily through the hall. I couldn't tell where the scream had come from.

"Mamoru..."I whispered tensely, gripping his hand. That scream drove home the futility of our situation. I was trying to escape from a dungeon guarded by heavily armed, unsympathetic men with only the dubious protection of a Malibu Barbie doll and Mamoru. Knowing that torture could safely be added to the list of amenities this dungeon provided only increased my desire to leave the premises immediately.

"We're doomed," I said, as we moved cautiously forward.

"No need to be so melodramatic," he said irritably, concentrating up ahead.

"Melodramatic!" I momentarily forgot that this was not the ideal time to get in an argument. "Did you just hear that, or are you telling me it was my--ouch!" I exclaimed as he yanked me abruptly towards the wall. For a second I struggled as he covered my body with his own before I recognized the sound of approaching footsteps. I wrapped my arms around Mamoru's bare waist and pulled him in closer to me as the footsteps grew louder.

"Ignore us. Ignore us. Ignore us," I chanted silently as I rested my head on Mamoru's chest. There was nowhere else to put it, after all. The footsteps slowed, and I could tell that they were almost directly across from us. My chanting grew even more fevered and determined, until I felt lightheaded with the effort. In fact, my entire body felt fuzzy, like when I sat cross-legged too long and my legs fell asleep. Discovery seemed inevitable when the approaching guards stopped in front of us and started having a conversation, but after minutes passed and they noticed nothing, I began to think we had a chance. I was concentrating too hard to really listen to their conversation, but the words "Kojin" and "Ushiro" and "Princess" did manage to penetrate. I figured, distantly, that they were two of the Kojin's many underlings and that this dungeon was certainly under his control. After a few minutes I relaxed enough to listen to their conversation.

"Right," said voice number one. "Let's get the Chiba bastard to the Kojin." Through the fuzziness I smelled the distinct scent of peppermint, and felt Mamoru's arms tense around me.

"Wait," said the other, nervously. "Should we send his swords with him?"

"Hmm..." the first voice pondered. "I suppose so. The Kojin may want to see them."

I heard them walk a few steps further down the hall, and panicked. It was clear they were talking about Mamoru. When they opened his cell door they would know he had escaped. Realizing that I had to do something quickly, I concentrated with a single-minded intensity on the first thought that came into my head:

"Go to the bathroom." I didn't feel fuzzy anymore, I felt desperate. I repeated it silently, my brow furrowed with concentration. Instinctually, I began to gather power the way I had when I first entered Umeru. Let this work, I prayed, even as I braced myself for the inevitable explosion. What did I think I was doing anyway? Practicing magic? It was all so...

"Um...Gendo? Do you think you could wait a minute? I've _really_ got to...you know..."

"Yeah, go ahead. In fact, so do I..."

They both left.

I lay helplessly against the wall. Mamoru disentangled himself from me, forcibly removing my hands from his torso. He gave me an appraising, slightly amused glance and grabbed my hand silently. I was so relieved about our unexpected escape that it took almost thirty seconds to realize that he was following the guards.

"Um, Mamoru, where are we going?"

"I have to get my swords back. Now keep quiet," he said. He stopped abruptly and I walked straight into him, but he didn't appear to notice. His attention was entirely concentrated on the dimly lit figure in front of him. The man was relieving himself against the wall, and I wondered if this world had bathrooms.

Mamoru walked forward quietly and hit the guard on the back of his head. He went down in a heap before he could even turn around or make a noise. Then he grabbed the swords the guard was carrying and walked back over to me.

"Can we leave now?" I asked, a little awed by his calculated display of force.

He took a moment to fasten his swords to his belt, one on either hip. "That's probably a good idea," he said. Neither of us looked back as we scurried further into the maze.

---------------------

Mamoru and I sprinted down a dimly lit corridor and careened around another corner, desperately trying to distance ourselves from the guards behind us. To my oversensitive ears, it sounded as though we were making as much noise as a herd of elephants. We couldn't have been that loud, however, because the sounds of our pursuers eventually faded into the distance.

Mamoru and I lay panting against a wall, the beaded perspiration of exertion and fear on our faces. Another disembodied scream echoed through the hall, and I shuddered.

"How can we get out of here? There are guards everywhere!" I said.

Mamoru's eyes were worried. "I can see that."

"Oh, don't be smart! What are we going to do?"

He shrugged. "Getting past the guards is impossible, that much is obvious."

"You don't have any ideas?" I asked. Part of me just wanted to sink to the floor and cry.

"No, don't worry. I'm sure I'll think of something." He frowned. "This place is quite old..." he said after a moment. "There are legends. I don't know if they're true, but it's a chance."

"What are they?" I asked.

"Mirror is one of the oldest cities in Umeru. Almost five hundred years ago the temples dominated this entire area. When the warlords began to usurp control and build these large castles, they tried to subdue the temples' influence...violently. That's why the dungeons of Mirror are so known for their torture devices--the priests and priestesses themselves served as the test cases. Given the dangers, the few remaining temples supposedly undertook a secret task to build tunnels from temples to the most notorious castle dungeons. The tunnels were, of course, very well hidden even when they were new, and there's no guarantee that we could find them now."

"If they even exist," I said quietly.

He acknowledged my statement with a curt nod.

"Is there anything more?" I asked at last. "What does the legend say about how these people found the tunnels?"

"Somehow, the priests had managed to keep some item from the temple with them, and used that to find the tunnel. That part of the legend never made much sense to me, though."

"Why not?"

"Because, as far as I know, the Kojin and the Lady are the only two people in this entire world with the ability to perform magic. And I don't understand how the priests could have found the tunnels without it." He paused for a minute, thinking silently. "But temples have always had a kind of magic of their own. Perhaps it's not so far fetched."

"Wait, wait," I said. "You mean that there is almost _no_ magic here?"

"I didn't even believe in magic until a year ago. Now it seems as though I have far too much contact with it for my peace of mind."

"But...weren't Ushiro and his men using magic earlier? Remember the peppermint?" I said.

"They weren't using the magic themselves, Serena. They were using a special amulet impregnated with the Kojin's magic."

"So, how are we going to get out of here, then?"

"If only I had some object from a temple. At least then I could try it out..."

We sat in silence for a minute. When the solution finally occurred to me, it seemed too easy to be believed. I looked up eagerly and was met by his opaque blue eyes. For a moment we froze like that, blue engulfing me. Seconds later our excitement reasserted itself, and we both exclaimed simultaneously: "The journal!"

As soon as I said it, I realized my mistake. I had planned to tell him about it, of course, but I didn't know how to tactfully say that I had been spying on his private life for the past two weeks.

"How could you know about that?" he asked, backing away from me.

"Well...um...it's a long story," I began, but was saved by the sound of approaching footsteps. Mamoru gave me one last suspicious look before taking my hand and dragging me further down the hall, away from the guards.

As soon as we seemed relatively safe again, Mamoru pulled out the book from one of his deep pants pockets. It looked exactly like mine, but it was considerably worse for the wear.

"What are you planning to do with it?" I whispered.

"I'm not quite sure," he said, holding the book like it were some unpleasant and inscrutable parasite. "Maybe close my eyes and pray? Anything is better than sitting here." And he proceeded to do precisely that, holding the book in front of him. After a minute I gave into the urge to tap him on the shoulder.

"Any luck?" I asked.

He opened his eyes and stared in mine, looking a little confused. "No..." he said slowly, shaking his head. "Nothing at all."

"Um...Mamoru, are you alright?" I asked. His pupils were so dilated his eyes looked black, although that could have just been because of the low light.

"God damn it!" He turned from me and walked further down the hall. I hurried after him.

"What are you doing now?" I said, looking behind us. He muttered muffled obscenities under his breath, but didn't answer me.

"Do you _want_ to get caught? Because if you do, then keep this up!"

He paid me not a whit of attention. I felt my nails dig into my palms. How dare he ignore me like this, I thought as I jogged to keep up with him.

Eventually, I noticed that Mamoru seemed to know where he was going. How this could be I didn't know, but while muttering things like "damn book" and "utterly useless," he was walking through the halls like he had lived here all his life. I trotted along after him, content, at least, to see where he would take us. After a number of twists and turns that Escher himself would have been proud of, we came to at a dead end. By this time, Mamoru's monologue seemed to have petered off, and his eyes lost their dazed expression.

He looked at the dead end and then turned back to me. "Um... where are we?"

Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "That should be my line. You had me trotting after you the entire way here, like a lovesick puppy."

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get me back for it," he said, winking. My knees felt a little watery. Thankfully, he turned off the smile and began pacing.

"Now what do we do?" he asked, not looking at me. Before I could respond I heard him grunt in surprise as he tripped over something, and went sprawling into the wall.

"Are you all right?" I asked, running over to him.

"Yeah...fine," he said, holding his torso carefully as he stood up. I would have pursued the point, but I noticed his gaze was intent on some spot on the floor.

"What are you looking at..." I began, but trailed off when I saw it. There was a barely visible circular groove in the stone floor. This in itself wasn't unusual, but the stone was a slightly different color, and dust seemed to have settled in its outline.

"I think we found our way out," I whispered. Without replying, Mamoru knelt slowly next to it, and felt around the edge. Eventually he managed to wedge his fingers underneath the groove and tried to lift it up.

After a few moments of grunting and sweating with no more than a groan in response from the stone, he asked for my help. Even with our combined efforts, it hardly moved at all.

"Brilliant," he said, leaning back on his heels, and wiping his sweating forehead."Maybe if we try again..." I said.

"Serena, this stone probably hasn't been moved in centuries."

"We have to try," I said. I leaned closer to him and noticed the pungent smell of his perspiration.

"What else could we use? Magic?" he said with obvious sarcasm.

I considered the possibility seriously. After all, what had I done back there with the guards? And how had I gotten to this world in the first place? Even if I was wrong, I had to at least make the effort.

"Come on...just one more time. For me, Mamoru?"

He gave me a surprisingly gentle look and nodded.

Smiling, I placed my fingers under the groove and pulled. At first nothing happened. I increased my concentration, willing the block to move. I drew on the same power that I had the last two times, shaking with both physical and mental exertion. And suddenly, it moved. With an almost audible pop, the block flew upwards in our hands and we tossed it to the side with surprising ease. Mamoru stared at the gaping hole and then shifted his gaze to me.

"We did it," he said quietly, disbelief in his voice. Then he grinned. "We did it!" he shouted, and I did so with him. We clasped our hands momentarily, staring into each other's eyes. I felt shock waves rebounding into my arms and chest that made it extraordinarily difficult to breathe. Then I broke contact, and looked into the hole again.

"Let's go," I said, ignoring the erratic thumping of my heart.

"You go down first," he said. He took the nearest torch from its sconce and handed it to me. " You can carry this down. Give it back to me after I put the cover back on behind us." I tactfully decided not to ask him how he planned to lift that thing all by himself.

I took the torch and handed him the Barbie doll. "Could you put this in your pocket for me?" I asked. Mamoru stared at it, but his reaction was cut short by the sound of booted feet and shouts echoing throughout the dungeon. I guessed that our absence had finally been discovered.

"No time," Mamoru whispered. He shoved the Barbie doll in his other pocket. Nodding, I climbed as quickly as possible, careful of my bare feet on the slimy stone. At least the torchlight made everything shadowy. I was quite sure that I did not want to know exactly what I was stepping in. Mamoru came after me, and my eyes widened in admiration as he lifted the heavy cover and placed it above us.

A few guards entered the corridor seconds later. I could vaguely make out the sound of their voices.

"Not here, sir."

"They couldn't have gone far. One of our men heard them a short while ago, in this direction. What's that smell?"

There was a pause while, presumably, the other sniffed the air. "I'm not sure...it smells sweet...I can't say I know what it is, though."

"They must be here...keep looking."

Mamoru nudged my hand with his foot, and I resumed my descent. Thankfully, the ladder did not go very far down and I turned around to face a small, stone lined tunnel that barely reached my chest. Mamoru moved in front of me and I handed him the torch. He and I glanced at each other silently, and then shrugged. It wasn't as though we had any other choices in the matter, after all.

We ducked into the tunnel. Mamoru crawled ahead of me, awkwardly holding the torch in one hand. I scrambled along behind him.

"So," I said after we had gone a bit further down the tunnel, "how _did_ you rescue me, anyway?"

"Oh, that. I did the exact same thing you did, in fact."

"What? You ran around naked?"

He laughed. I tripped, even though crawling was supposed to prevent that sort of thing.

"No," he said. "I can't say that I had that pleasure. I was referring to your plan to clobber the first person who came through the door."

"You mean you stole the keys from a guard? Why didn't they discover you sooner, then?"

"Well, I didn't steal them from a guard...not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"One of Ushiro's men came to visit me--to gloat, I suppose. This time he came alone. I guess that he assumed I would turn magically docile once I made it to the dungeon. He wanted to play with me, apparently. He taunted me for a while and then tried to kick me. Only, since he was alone, I fought back. I managed to slip his key ring off of his belt while I held him in an arm lock. I told him to get out before I did anything more damaging than twist his elbow, and he left. If I know my strong but unfortunately stupid attacker, by the time he realizes the keys are missing, he'll figure that he's lost them himself." Mamoru sounded entirely too pleased with himself.

"Mamoru, you sound entirely too pleased with yourself."

"Well, I should sound pleased. _You_ haven't exactly been helpful recently."

I stopped, overcome with anger. "How dare you say that! I have gone through_hell_ to get here, and if you don't show me some appreciation soon, you might just have to kiss my help goodbye. Especially since you seem to think that you can do just fine without it! Was it just my imagination, or at our last parting did you or did you not tell me to come and find you?"

Mamoru had turned to face me. He blinked several times. "Yes..."he finally said."Well then! If you don't want this stupid amulet, and you don't want my useless help, then tell me so and I will go back to my own world! I don't need this, and I definitely don't need you! I did not go halfway around the world to God-knows-where, with these stupid chickens that wouldn't leave me alone and this horrible wedgie, trying to find my crazed neighbor, only to land _naked_ once again in the _middle_ of this stupid city just to be made fun of by an ungrateful low life like yourself!" I was breathing heavily.

Mamoru's eyes looked sad in the torchlight. He took a deep breath. "Serena," he finally said. "I'm...sorry I said that. It was...dishonorable of me. You helped me even though you had no obligation at all. I was...very surprised to see you, in fact," he gave me a small smile that was, if anything, shy. "My apologies." He bowed slightly, although it's depth seemed more limited by the size of our crawl space than his sincerity.

I was shocked as much by the gesture as by the sentiment. After an awkward moment, I returned the bow.

"The_chickens_ wouldn't leave you alone?" he said, his easy demeanor restored.I blushed. "It's a long story." He gave me an appraising look, and abruptly turned around again. I scuttled to catch up with him.

"Now, I must ask you something," Mamoru said, and from his tone of voice, I had a feeling that I wasn't going to enjoy his line of questioning.

"What?" I asked.

"How did you know about my journal?"

Of course. I had been hoping that he had forgotten the issue in the excitement of our escape.

"Well, see, in my world we don't really believe in other...worlds, like this one. I did actually, but I was a very strange person there. No one really believed me anyway, so it didn't matter. Didn't you ever wonder how I found out about you?"

"Of course I did. You didn't expect me to believe that business about a vision, did you?"

"I did too have a vision...sort of," I said defensively. "Anyway, I found this blank book one day...only the next day it wasn't blank, and I realized that I was reading someone else's journal."

"You were reading my journal in your world? For how long?" His tone relieved me. He sounded more curious than angry.

"The entire time you had it, I think."

"The entire time," he repeated quietly. "So, You read what I wrote about you?"

"Unfortunately. 'She envisioned herself as some sort of savior,' Mamoru? Very flattering!"

Mamoru was making strange choking noises. I frowned at his butt. It was a rather enjoyable butt at that, I thought. Really, its contemplation could preoccupy me for hours...its fine contours, the way it was round without being fat. As Mina was known to say, it was a total "squishy, squishy."

Being so preoccupied, it took me a good two minutes to realize we had stopped and Mamoru was still laughing.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Not very flattering!" he said, "It wasn't supposed to be, Serena!"

"Oh, just shut up! Who cares if I read your stupid journal? You ought to be grateful that I even bothered...Mamo-chan!"

"Don't call me that," he said, still chuckling a little.

"You can't make me stop!" I said, dangerously close to sticking out my tongue."Wait, do you hear something?" he asked.

"Is that...water?" I was suddenly very nervous

He nodded. "It must be an underground river. It sounds as if it's alongside us." We looked at each other for a moment.

"Let's keep going," he said, finally, and resumed crawling. This time I was too worried about the river to pay much attention to his hindquarters.

---------------------

Long before I was ready for it, the tunnel stopped to make way for the river. The powerful current churned about ten feet below us. Thirty feet across I saw that the tunnel continued.

"How are we supposed to get over this?" I asked, sitting next to Mamoru. Even if we managed to get down the steep edge and swim across, climbing back up would be nearly impossible. He was silent for a while, and I saw his eyes scanning the entire area. Finally, his face lit up, and he leaned forward.

"Look at this, Serena," he said, pointing to the remains of a rickety rope bridge that dangled from ancient metal stakes pounded into the stone beside us.

"It's broken," I said.

"I know, but we could use the rope." He ripped one of the rope ends from the wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Knowing Mamoru's foolhardy ideas, he was probably planning to swim across with only a frayed, God-knows-how-old rope to hold him against the current, and scale the slippery rocks to the other side.

"If I tie these together," he said, tying his broken end to the rope still attached to the wall. The dislodged planks fell without a splash into the river below. "Then I can use it against the current when I swim across."

Bingo. "So how are you planning on getting back up? Levitation?"

"Well..." he said, running his hand through his hair. I raised my eyebrows. "There's some broken rope on the other side, too. I can climb that back up."

"Why don't you just drown yourself and get it over with?" I said, a slightly hysterical edge to my voice.

"Serena, don't be ridiculous," he said. "How else do you propose we get across? What, do you think it will be safer to go back to the dungeon and hope that the guards won't mind that we've been missing?"

"No, but--"

"I hate to be so harsh, but there's no other way. Once I get across, I can toss you a rope and pull you to me."

I stuttered for a few moments, endeavoring to find a reasonable argument against his rampant stupidity, but I could think of none.

"I thought you'd say that," he said with a grin. The blood roaring past my ears was so loud I could barely hear the river.

"And you say _I_ imagine myself as some sort of savior," I said.

"I'm not imagining."

I did not even dignify that comment with a response. He smiled again, and handed me the torch. "Toss this across once I get there...it may not work, but I'd prefer to have a light." He grabbed the end of his rope and prepared to jump into the water. I grabbed his arm.

"Wait...shouldn't you check your knot, first?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled his knot extra tight. I cursed him silently. Just as he was about to jump, I grabbed his arm again.

"What is it this time?" he snapped.

"Good luck," I said quietly.

I turned away from his smile, unwilling to turn into a useless, quivering mass of jelly. I had no intention of standing on the shore, biting my nails and fretting like a good little maiden. If Mamoru was going to risk his life, I was going to make damned sure I did all in my power to help him keep it.

I stood paralyzed for a moment when I heard the sound of his body hitting the water, but I promptly recovered when I saw him surface, struggling against the current. I ran over to where the remaining rope was attached to the rock, and grabbed it with my free hand. As I had feared, the old rope could barely hold Mamoru against the pull of the current. I held onto it for our lives, digging my heels into the rock for support. Mamoru struggled against the current, making progress by inches. Every time his head went under my breath caught in my throat and I felt tears form in my eyes. Intellectually I knew that there really was no other way, but it didn't stop me from fuming with anger at his arrogance. Maybe I was also a little angry with myself for caring so much.

At last, he made it to the far bank. He dropped the rope I held and grabbed one of the ropes dangling down that side's cliff face. I held my breath. There was no more I could do to help. I saw his back muscles quiver with the effort of pulling himself from the rushing water. Just before he had climbed far enough to reach his arms over the top, the rope he was climbing snapped, and for a desperate second I wondered if Mamoru would lose his grip entirely and plunge back into the water. To my relief his right hand shot out at the last possible moment, and grabbed the remaining rope. He hung there for a moment. My voice was stuck in my throat and my hands had flown to my mouth. As he raised his other hand, I realized that it still held the broken rope. It was difficult enough to climb with both hands free, he certainly did not need that rope to further complicate things.

"Let it go!" I shouted, and I suppose my fear lent my voice the volume needed to be heard across the river.

"I can't," he said, after a moment, still maintaining his precarious one handed grip.

"Why the hell not?"

"You can't get across without it," he said.

I was stunned. How could he consider me when his own life was literally hanging by a thread? He painstakingly made his way up the frayed rope, and my eyes examined it carefully for any signs of breaking. If he made it to the top soon, it looked as if it might hold. Just before I thought I would pass out from worry, he threw his hands over the top and pulled himself onto the ledge. He lay on the other side, panting for a moment, and then struggled upwards. For someone who had almost drowned about ten times, he looked okay.

I watched Mamoru rip the other rope from the wall and then tie the two together.

"Serena," he shouted, "toss me the torch!"

I stared at the object and the thirty foot distance dubiously. I was notoriously bad at all sports that involved projectiles, and none of those had been flaming. If I lost our light in the river how could I get across? Perhaps it was better for me to leave the torch here, and go across aided by light, although we wouldn't have any for the remainder of our journey. I didn't like the idea, but it sounded better than losing the light here. I said as much to Mamoru, but he shook his head emphatically.

"We can't afford to lose the light--who knows what else is out there?"

"But what if I can't make it? When I say I'm bad, you have no--"

"Don't worry, Serena," he said. "I trust you."

Damn him, I thought, what am I doing? Praying that I would tap into some heretofore undiscovered athletic talent, I raised the torch over my head and lobbed it with as much force as I could...straight into Mamoru's face. I stared in horror but at the last possible moment, Mamoru's hands shot out and grabbed it expertly by the handle. He lowered it slowly, and winked at me.

"Was that supposed to tell me something?"

I knew he was raising his eyebrows, he was just too far away for me to see clearly. He set the torch carefully on the ground and tossed the rope across to me. It didn't quite close the gap, however, so I had to lean forward to grab it. After the fifth try, I managed to securely grip the frayed end, but overbalanced as I was, I plunged head first into the churning water. My right hand still gripped the rope, but for several terrifying moments I could not struggle to the surface, and lack of air made me feel light headed. Then, I felt the rope yank violently upwards and I surfaced, gulping air. Mamoru pulled me forward little by little, as I struggled against the current. This had seemed much easier when I was safe, dry and ten feet above the water. Now, I seriously doubted that I would survive this experience. Despite that, I fought against the current, trying to aid Mamoru any way I could. When I had a few more feet to go a particularly strong current ripped the rope out of my hands, and I sank beneath the surface. For a moment I was still, almost paralyzed with fear. Then, with a silent roar, I forced myself above the surface.

I fought my way towards Mamoru, searching for the rope. Moments before I almost gave up in exhaustion, I saw it and grabbed it gratefully. Only a second later Mamoru hauled me the few remaining feet through the river and up the cliff face. I collapsed in a wet heap, my breath coming in short gasps that resembled sobs. God, but that had been close. I felt like one cold, wet bruise.

"Serena," he whispered, putting his hands tentatively on my shoulders. I guess I really must have been exhausted, because I relaxed under his touch. "Are you all right?" Something in his voice made me open my eyes, and roll over to face him. At his expression, I smiled. "I'm fine," I said.

He looked relieved, and helped me to stand up. I tried wringing out his soaked tunic, but without taking it off, there wasn't much I could do. When I began shivering, he looked as though he would say something but decided against it.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing the torch.

"All...right..." I chattered. Still dripping, I dropped to my knees, and followed Mamoru through the tunnel.

God damn it, I thought, momentarily forgetting about how cold I was. Even after all this, his butt was _still_ gorgeous!

---------------------

After perhaps another hour of crawling through the freezing cold tunnel with only Mamoru's backside as my view we arrived at another stone ladder.

"Finally," I said.

He climbed up silently and I followed. Above us it looked as though there was a seal over our hole, similar to what we had removed back in the dungeon. I only hoped that this was easier to release.

"Here," he said, handing down the torch.

"Hey! Don't burn me," I said, wincing from my close proximity to the smoking object. It didn't smell too nice, either. He placed both of his hands on the stone and shoved. The stone began to move, and within a few more seconds he painstakingly pushed it off. Natural light flooded my eyes. I winced and waited for Mamoru to crawl out. He didn't move, however. He looked like he was hunched over.

"Mamoru, are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" With a wordless grunt, he climbed out and I crawled after him.

---------------------

We seemed to have interrupted some unfortunate shrine maiden's meditation, and from her expression we were a rather unexpected interruption. Her bowl of incense sat forgotten before her, and the stick that she had intended to light it with was about to burn her fingers. She had long black hair and deep brown eyes that almost looked maroon.

Closing her mouth with an audible snap, she bowed low, her forehead touching the ground before her. Even with my rudimentary introduction into the culture of this place I knew that the gesture conveyed far more respect than was worthy two nameless intruders who had just interrupted her meditation. Mamoru and I glanced at each other. After a moment I bowed as well.

"We welcome your safe return and rejoice in it as a miracle of the Lady's making," she said this in a stilted, halting manner as if these were the words of a ritual. I hadn't really thought about our reception on the other end of the tunnel, but I certainly had not expected this.

"As payment for accepting the Lady's gift, I ask that you now return the object which brought you to us."

Mamoru and I looked at each other again, not confused, but carefully considering the pros and cons of giving this shrine maiden the journal. I was flattered that he would even bother allowing me in on the decision, and after a moment I nodded with what I hope was relative imperceptibility. Raising his eyebrows at me in a way that was certainly not imperceptible, he fished the water-logged journal out of his pocket and handed it to the woman.

The priestess' eyes widened, and her hands shook as she reached for the book. She looked back and forth between us and the book in shocked confusion. She bowed low, almost reverentially before standing up and rushing to a corner of a room set off by low hanging red, embroidered silk curtains. She tugged frantically at a rope of braided red silk, and I jumped when I heard a bell tolling.

"What the hell is going on?" I mouthed to Mamoru. He shrugged his shoulders, looking just about as lost as I felt. In a matter of seconds, I could hear the sound of rushing feet and then someone roughly shoved open the screen door to our left. A short, bald man flanked by three others of somewhat greater stature appeared in the doorway

"Rei-chan," he shouted, "what's the meaning of ringing the sacred bell..." he trailed off and stared at us.

"Are they..." he began, shock registering on his features. She nodded silently, and held out Mamoru's journal.

"Is it real?" he asked.

"Look at the inscription."

He fingered the gold writing--that was in Mamoru's language, I noticed--reverentially. He looked between us again, then showed the book to his colleagues. I noticed that they all wore the same uniform of voluminous red silk pants and white shirt, regardless of gender.

The four newcomers walked toward us. They knelt as the priestess had done and bowed low.

"My name is Jinsei," the short man said. "I am the steward of this, the Jin-doji temple. This is my granddaughter Rei. These three behind me are my novices, Yasuo, Hyōgen and Tenkai. Please accept our humble offer of hospitality to the Lady's honored guests."

I stared at him blankly, but Mamoru nodded and bowed slightly. I followed suit.

"We are pleased and honored to accept your generous invitation," Mamoru said solemnly. "My name is Mamoru and this is Serena."

Jinsei nodded and then looked toward Rei. "Rei-chan, feed and clothe them as properly fits the honored guests of the Lady while we prepare for the ceremony" He paused and looked at us again, something almost approaching joy in his eyes. "Thank God it's happening now," he said, and left the room with his novices.

"Come with me," she said quietly. Mamoru and I stood up and followed her.

We walked through a long hallway lined with similar sliding doors. She opened one near the middle and led us inside. I looked around, noting the sparse but comfortably rich furnishings. It looked like an anteroom of some sort. A small wooden table stood in the middle of the floor, and a richly embroidered pillow had been placed at each side. Through the circular windows, I could see a well-cultivated garden, and small bonsai trees stood in niches on the walls.

"Please sit." She gestured towards the table. "I will send the servants to attend to your food and dress shortly." The mention of food reminded me that it had been at least twenty-four hours since my last meal, and my stomach grumbled loudly. Mamoru and I stared at each other for a few interminable moments.

"I don't suppose staying could do any harm," he said finally, sitting down at the table.

"Did you have any other plans?" I asked, sitting across from him. "It seems to me we're pretty well boxed in."

He tilted his head in acknowledgment, and we again lapsed into silence. Despite everything that we had gone through together, I suddenly felt awkward around him. I was sure I looked like a drowned rat. Sometime during our escape, my hair had completely fallen out of its braid, and now hung in a tangled blonde mess. I felt doubly pathetic, because I knew it shouldn't have mattered to me how I looked, but I just couldn't stand the thought of looking so ugly when he could have posed for a Greek statue.

"Serena...are you okay?" he asked, peering at me.

I squirmed. "I'm fine," I said.

Then my stomach grumbled loudly again and I seized upon the opportunity. "I'm so hungry!" I said, sprawling on the table for dramatic effect. I wasn't acting much, either. After a moment, Mamoru laughed and I looked up at him. To my surprise, his expression was merely amused.

"I don't suppose you have mastered the use of our foreign utensils since you left?" he asked, still smiling.

After a moment of incomprehension, I groaned. "Everything was so hectic! I didn't even think about the damned things," I said.

"You know," he said, leaning back on his heels, "I have never met someone so fond of eating who is so bad at it."

"I'm not bad at it!" I said, sitting up again. "I'll have you know that back in my world I'm a master eater."

"I'm sure you are," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively while his gaze traveled over my full figure, which had been given some subtle additions by my inordinate fondness for boxed chocolates.

"Oh, shut up," I said, feeling even stupider. He shut his mouth, but his eyes danced with amusement. They looked ethereal in the orange streaked light of the dying sun. Who would suspect that behind those eyes hid such an insufferable, pompous, self-assured, jerk? Well, he wasn't a jerk all the time, I conceded, but he sure made up for it.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

I blinked. "Nothing," I said, "I get strange when I'm hungry."

"I can't disagree," he said, and I knew his eyebrows were raised without even looking.

"Is it possible for you not to make fun of every thing I say?"

"Perhaps if you could say something intelligent?"

The ability this man had to anger me was positively uncanny. I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from him. He just smirked.

Two women attired in simple light blue kimonos entered the room at that moment, each carrying a tray filled with tea and an unopened ceramic pot. Delicious aromas drifted in my direction and I lifted my nose. Looking away deferentially, the women placed a tray in front of both of us, and backed out of the room, bowing ceremoniously.

I opened the dish.

"Noodles," I said flatly. "Noodles with chopsticks."

I looked up and was confronted with the picture of Mamoru in the throes of helpless laughter.

"It's not like my day could have gotten any better," I said. "I look like a drowned rat, I'm cold and I have spent the last six hours with you. And just when I thought that something was working properly, just when I thought that I could _eat_, they have to serve me noodles... with chopsticks!"

"You," Mamoru said, "are absolutely brilliant."

I looked at him curiously, all petulance forgotten.

"I've never met anyone quite like you. I think you may be insane."

"You think I may be _what_?"

"Don't worry." His eyes were somehow sweet as he said this. "It's possible you're growing on me."

And before I had a chance to ask him what he meant by that, he started eating his noodles.

I wondered if I should just use my fingers, but figured that the chopsticks were worth at least one more try. Avoiding Mamoru's curious gaze, I gingerly reached for them. For twenty-two years I had made every effort to learn how to use chopsticks, and I had failed miserably. Faced with the prospect of never eating again, I proved a remarkably fast learner. A couple of false starts and half a dozen soup stains later, I managed to insert some noodles into my mouth. Five minutes later, I was slurping the remaining juice out of the bowl.

"You know, I think that you got roughly half of that in your mouth," Mamoru said, staring at me like I was a strange and possibly dangerous lizard at the zoo.

"I know, aren't you proud?" I said. I was much too pleased with myself to be angry at anyone, even Mamoru.

"Only because it's you, my dear," he said. His smile lit his eyes in a way that made my stomach feel strange. I was grateful when the two ladies returned. At first I thought they had come to retrieve the trays, but it appeared that they were planning on retrieving us instead. Prompted by sotto-voce requests, we stood and went into the corridor again. I experienced a moment of panic when they lead Mamoru and I in different directions.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I said, trying to keep the panicked edge out of my voice. Obviously I didn't succeed very well, because Mamoru took it upon himself to calm me.

"Don't worry, Serena. They're just taking us to change our clothes for...whatever it is that's happening."

"But...will we see each other again?" I asked.

He gave me an incredulous smile. "Of course." And, after a moment, "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

And with that, we were dragged apart. I felt like an idiot. Why had Mamoru said that? I didn't need protecting, and certainly not from him. I fumed at myself as I marched down the hall. In fact, I found my fuming so satisfactory that I continued to do it as I was led into another room, barely noticing as the two female attendants performed the long and arduous task of making me look presentable. After a while I began to enjoy the pampering, even when they attacked my tangles and put my hair into an elaborately braided coif.

After almost two hours, I was fully dressed. I was even wearing those strange wooden shoes on what looked like small stilts with socks separated for the thong. They were remarkably difficult to walk on, and considering that I was draped in at least seven layers of fabric, it was even more difficult. The ladies admired my appearance in the mirror, and even I had to admit that despite my extreme discomfort, I looked rather dignified. Thankfully, the formal outfit did not drown me. A light blue obi was tied across the dark blue kimono at my waist, and a long train of light blue fabric hung down my back. I quite enjoyed the way that it accentuated my hips. The sleeves draped over my hands, and the collar covered me to my neck. I turned to thank them when I heard a loud commotion outside the doors. I knew it was Mamoru even before I heard his voice.

"What have you done with Serena!" he shouted. "I know it doesn't take two hours just to get dressed!"

"Please sir," a male voice said, "the ladies are preparing for the ceremony. I assure you that she is safe--"

"What preparations could possibly take more than two hours?"

"Sir, though I imagine that you are used to a slightly...humbler lifestyle, I assure you that among those of culture it is no extraordinary thing to take two hours to prepare oneself. Indeed, for those of great refinement it often takes much longer."

I recognized the sneer in the man's voice. I had heard it often enough from the other girls in my college who thought it was shameful that I, a scholarship student who bought her clothes from K-Mart, had the gall to share the same breathing space with them. No one had been there to stick up for me then, but I would be damned if I let this pompous ass humiliate Mamoru.

I strode to the doors, maintaining my precarious balance on the shoes, and slid the screen door back roughly. The two--I recognized the other man as one of the novices I had met earlier--turned towards me in surprise.

"Oh, Mamoru, there you are! I am so sorry to have kept you waiting for such an inordinate amount of time. Really, can you imagine servants of the Lady taking so long to do such a simple coiffure? Don't take it out on him," I said, gesturing to the novice, "I suppose we must be understanding to those who haven't been exposed to such refinements."

I held my breath. The novice's face was so flushed with embarrassment that he looked close to fainting. Mamoru, though, was staring at me with an expression so layered I couldn't even begin to read it. His eyes held mine roughly for a moment.

Had I done something wrong, I wondered for a panicked instant, but then he smiled and I could not help but smile back.

"Of course, Serena. I forget myself." He gave a stiff, formal bow to the novice and then reached for my hand without bothering to see if the bow had been returned.

"Oh, Mamo-chan," I whispered as we were walking down the hallway. "What would you do without me?"

---------------------

Across a low table, Mamoru and I stared at Jinsei, Rei and the novice who had accompanied us here. I noticed that the novice was nervously eyeing Mamoru's long sword. It was again in its traditional place on his back, over the delicately embroidered jacket the temple had given him. I grinned to myself.

"We welcome you to our humble shrine," Jinsei said, bowing low over the table."I'm afraid that we don't quite understand these...procedings. If you would care to enlighten us..." Mamoru said.

"You don't understand? Pardon my rudeness, but how did you get the Lady's journal?" Rei asked.

"I was sent on a quest to find her before this plague ravages all Umeru. I was given the journal as a clue and it led me here."

"And who gave you the sacred journal?" Jinsei asked, with an insulting emphasis on the word "gave." I tried to keep my uneasiness from my expression, but Mamoru made no effort to hide his displeasure.

"It was given to me by the late emperor Nakatomi Ashitaka on his death bed."

The shock at his words was palpable. "Why...did he entrust this to you?" Jinsei asked.

"He told me I was his son," Mamoru said. I knew this already, but I still felt impressed. The way he held himself, staring straight into Jinsei's eyes, made me inexplicably proud.

After a moment, Jinsei nodded. "I understand. It is then our duty to help you on your quest. But, if you will allow me one more question, who is the girl?"

I glanced at him nervously, but he was staring straight ahead.

"She is my trusted companion. Beyond that, you need not know."

Jinsei looked as though he would argue, but then nodded.

"The time has come then," he said. "We will begin the ceremony. There we will perform our sacred duty and give you the box the Lady entrusted us with those centuries ago."

Mamoru nodded; it seemed that everyone had forgotten about my presence."If you will excuse us," Jinsei said as they rose from the table. "We must prepare for the ceremony. Attendants will fetch you shortly." They left, leaving me alone again with Mamoru.

We stared at each other silently, while I searched for something to say.

"Here," I said, finally remembering the amulet that I had come all this way to give back. I removed it and regretted its loss immediately. I had grown accustomed to its weight.

He regarded both the amulet and myself with surprise. "Serena," he said, closing his hand over mine. I shivered. "I think...that you should keep it, for now. Thank you for bringing it back, but I don't know what is going to happen to us, and it might be safer if you had it."

"All...right..." I said, and with shaking hands replaced the object over my neck.

"You know, I didn't recognize you in that outfit," he said with something closer to his normal informality. This language, unlike English, had special words and ways of speaking dictated for every social situation. It was funny, I thought, but around me, even though custom would dictate more formality, he had almost immediately reverted to the most intimate, informal language--generally reserved for family and lovers. The thought made my cheeks grow warm.

"I noticed," I said, avoiding his eyes.

"I have a feeling you're not going to get very far in those shoes, though."

"Glad for the vote of confidence."

"It's not my fault you're clumsy. I just make observations."

"I am not clumsy!"

"Is that right? What exactly do you call your...interesting use of chopsticks?"

"Eating!"

"Maybe if you're a pig."

"Are you calling me a pig?"

"As my mother always said, if it looks like one and oinks like one..."

At that opportune moment, a serving girl I recognized from earlier entered the room.

"You got lucky this time, Mamo-chan," I said.

He just laughed.

---------------------

We sat in front of the fire, turned away from the kneeling figures who had gathered for this occasion, but I could feel their eyes boring into my back. It seemed that the entire household had turned out for the ceremony. Rei and the old man had taken seats on either side of the fire, facing us. As of yet, nothing had happened, and the intense silence was beginning to make me nervous.

"In the old days," the old man suddenly intoned. His booming voice made me jump a little in surprise. "Temples were created in honor of the four great kami: stone, fire, tree and storm. Here, in the land now called Mirror, the fire temple was established, and it prospered. Even when the great warlords ravaged the land, we alone of all the Mirror temples remained sustained in our power. But we cannot forget the debt we owe to one great woman, the savior who rescued us in that desperate time and gave us great fortune. The Lady, benefactor of all this land, endowed this temple with the magic to save those imprisoned in the warlord's castles, by impregnating certain objects with her magic and giving us the means to build the tunnels. But, she requested one favor. According to the legend, she took a thin book, filled with blank pages, and wrote an inscription on the inside cover:

---------------------

"Beyond the Mirror lies the Lady's key

You who hold this: write, so unseen eyes can see.

---------------------

"Instead of leaving this in our possession, however, she took it with her. Should ever anyone come to us bearing that book, we were to open this box and leave the contents with them. This," he paused for a moment to draw out Mamoru's journal, "is the same book. They have come to us through the hidden passageway, escaping from the castles as of old. It is time for us to reveal the secret we have faithfully hidden for over four hundred years."

I stared at him, rapt, but his story appeared finished. Rei had unfolded herself with an enviable grace and walked in front of the large fire. She stood there with her head bowed penitently and chanted for a few moments. Then, with a force so sudden that I had to repress a cry, she let out a scream--perhaps of challenge or rage, I really wasn't in a condition to tell-- and reached her hand inside the fire. After a time that was far longer than any normal human could willingly stick her hand in a fire, she removed a thin wooden box, roughly a foot in diameter.

By all force of logic, her hands should have been burned, dress scorched and the box--if it had been resting in that fire-- should have been reduced to smoldering ashes years ago. Yet, she walked towards us with an outward appearance of total calm, and placed the box gently between us. Mamoru and I reached for it at almost the exact same time, and I could feel his mirrored disbelief.

The box was cool to the touch.

---------------------

"Let the two open the Lady's gift together." Mamoru and I stared at each other for a stunned moment before he nodded. Trying to control my shaking hands, I helped him open the box. Inside was a simple piece of parchment. The beautiful calligraphy was carefully written over a delicate depiction of a forest in gold leaf. Mamoru's eyes raked over it insistently, and his puzzled expression only deepened.

"I don't understand," he said, peering into the old man's eyes. Jinsei shrugged.

"We have performed our duties. That is all the Lady ever entrusted us to give."

Mamoru looked like he was about to push the issue, but kept his silence.

"As is the tradition," the old man intoned again, "those who were lost have returned, and our sacred mission and debt has been repaid in full. Let us ring the bell in celebration."

The ringing seemed a cue for the audience to stand. One by one, they processed in front of us, bowed low and then left. After five strained minutes we were alone again with Rei and Jinsei.

"Rei, please discuss the arrangements for tomorrow with our guests," he said, as he stood up.

"Yes, Grandfather," she said, her eyes downcast. Somehow she still didn't look very submissive.

His expression softened. "You were...brilliant today, Rei-chan."

She smiled, and the expression revealed even more of her exquisite beauty. "Thank you, Grandfather."

He left, leaving us alone with Rei.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but we will be leaving tomorrow," Mamoru said. I looked at him in surprise, but didn't dispute his decision. As much as I disliked his tendency to speak for the both of us without consulting my opinion, I had to agree that it was better to move out as quickly as possible.

Rei acknowledged his statement with a dignified nod. She couldn't be any older than I, and yet she had an air of maturity and worldliness about her that I could never hope to achieve.

"We will provide you with all you require for a safe journey...the details can be worked out tomorrow morning. As for now, I suspect that you may want to rest?"

I blushed, because she had caught me mid-yawn.

She laughed a little. "Come, I'll show you to your rooms."

I was surprised when she showed Mamoru and I to separate rooms. To my sleep-fogged brain it had made perfect sense for us to sleep together, and whatever _that_ meant, I didn't want to think about. I waved a sleepy goodnight to Mamoru, and as I turned to enter my room, I wondered if I had just imagined that almost sweet softening of his expression as I smiled at him.

In my room two of the maids helped divest me of my cumbersome blue kimono. They let me keep the light shift--a jiban, they called it--to sleep in. As soon as they left, I lay down on the pallet in the middle of the room, relishing in the foreign feel of the mattress. It felt sort of like a bean bag, I thought as I snuggled deeper inside. I fell asleep mere moments later.

---------------------

Dressed in a far simpler kimono of patterned light pink and wearing a pair of flat thong sandals, I dined with Mamoru the next morning. My hair was held back from my face with two simple bone combs. Petunia's Barbie doll, which Mamoru had returned to me last night, was tucked safely into the thick obi of the kimono.

"About this journey of ours," I said, "what did that parchment say, anyway?"

"You didn't read it?" he asked. "You were staring right at it."

I rolled my eyes. "Mamoru, I can't read your language."

He still looked blank. "But...you can speak it...you mean, this isn't what you speak in your world?"

"Of course not! It's part of the way I traveled here...I can understand and speak your language without thinking about it. But I still can't read it."

Mamoru looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, maybe you'll be able to make more sense out of it."

He fished the protective tube holding the parchment from the deep pockets in his overcoat. He rolled it open carefully, his fingers tracing the writing lightly.

"The rhyme itself is very simple. It just doesn't make any sense. 'Find the house with no windows, no doors, and a star in the middle.'"

I waited a moment while he stared at me with raised eyebrows. "That's it?" I asked.

"I_said_ it was incomprehensible."

We stared at the parchment silently for a few minutes until an idea came to me. "Do you think that the trees in the background might be a clue?" I asked.

He glanced up at me and smiled. "You may be right...it might be the only way this thing makes any sense."

"So...a house in a forest, you think? That narrows it down. Aren't there forests all over this country?"

"You're right..." he said slowly, his finger still absentmindedly tracing over the designs, "but...look at the trees!"

I looked closer, but I couldn't see why he was so excited.

"The trees are on a sharp slope," he said. "There is a certain forest in the Setsuna hills that is known for its wild, untouched nature. Not even woodcutters will venture there--they say there are mountain-goblins in the forests that play tricks on them and steal their children. Even bandits scared away by all the old legends of vengeful spirits and magic."

"How can you be sure? That can't be the only forest in the mountains."

"No, but it's the only one still untouched. Listen, Serena, I know we can't be positive, but at this point definite assurance is a little too much to ask for."

"If you say so..."

As if on cue, Rei entered the room and bowed respectfully. "Have you finished?" Mamoru nodded, and I gazed at his untouched food longingly. I had been feeling rather hungry this morning. "Grandfather requests your presence to discuss your journey."

Mamoru and I followed her through a small courtyard to a circular building with a wooden porch. We removed our shoes on the porch, and she slid the door open.

Jinsei was kneeling on tatami rice mats in the middle of the room. Spread before him was a large map. He beckoned us to sit across from him. Rei and Mamoru sat easily, but all of this kneeling was really taking its toll on my ankles. I longed to sit cross-legged, but I had a feeling that it would be impolite.

"Have you interpreted the Lady's message?" he asked.

"Partially. We plan to make our way to the forest in the Setsuna hills."

The old man nodded gravely. "That is a wise decision. I expect that you know the way there is dangerous...especially in these times."

"We do," Mamoru said, and I glanced at him sharply. What was this 'we' business, anyway? It was news to me that the trip was dangerous, although the prospect actually excited me more than it scared.

"From what I have heard," Jinsei continued, "the plague has not yet reached Mirror. In fact, the plague's progress appears to have slowed down. At least now it travels more like a normal sickness than the wildfire it had been before."

"Does this mean..." The excitement faded from Mamoru's voice when Jinsei shook his head.

"No, it seems that the Kojin has changed tactics. The tales of people disappearing without a trace have increased. I would guess that he is looking for someone or something. We can be grateful that he has not yet found it, but..."

"That 'someone' may very well be us," Mamoru said.

"Or the Princess," Jinsei said. "And the daimyo have been slaughtering or conscripting those lucky enough to survive the plague. All of their petty skirmishes... their greed is destroying this country as surely as the plague. The wars to the northeast of here have been devastating, we've had to start turning away the refugees. Thankfully Mirror has so far escaped that fate--Tatai Daimyo is still strong enough to protect us. But I have heard rumors that forces of the Kojin himself have been riding through villages and towns offering the people relief from the plague and from war if they surrender their loyalty to him."

Mamoru nodded. "We will have to be very careful then. If we leave now, Ushiro and his men will have no idea where we are. It might be better to take a more circuitous route to the Setsuna hills, but we can't afford to take too long."

"Ushiro?" Jinsei asked.

"One of the Kojin's top officials. He captured me, but Serena escaped. In the process, we killed several of his men. He has an intense personal desire to see us killed."

"I see. I agree with your assessment of the situation, then. I suggest that you two masquerade as husband and wife. As pilgrims, perhaps, to the great Hokusai shrine in Rin. We will provide you with enough money for your journey, but you should not appear unduly rich. You must endeavor to remain as unremarkable as possible."

Up until now I had been content to let the two men have their little discussion, but there was one thing I had to make quite clear before they went any further. "There is no way I'm going to masquerade as his husband," I said.

The old man stared at me, but Mamoru grinned. "It's not a fate that most women would object to, you know."

"You are not getting married. You are simply pretending. In the privacy of your room you may do whatever you like. This is a matter of safety, not personal preference. It is unheard of for an unmarried man and woman to travel alone together, as you two will necessarily be doing. There is no other way. Do you understand?" Jinsei asked, looking at me.

"Yes," I muttered, trying to ignore Mamoru's sardonic gaze.

"Well then," the man said, rubbing his hands together in a business-like manner. "Let's plan your route."

---------------------

In the end, our trip looked far more like a "c" than a straight line. At least we didn't have to travel to other islands on the archipelago, since the Setsuna hills were situated on the very tip of Mamasa, the main island. Unfortunately, by avoiding areas ravaged by the plague and those loyal to the Kojin, we were also traveling through some notorious bandit hangouts.

Rei had left to attend to attend to our baggage, expressly ordered to be modest-looking. The less rich we appeared, the fewer bandits would want to rob us. When we were finished, Jinsei rolled up the map and handed it to Mamoru.

"It seems from here our paths diverge. I humbly thank you for the honor you have brought to this temple by your presence and I wish you luck on your quest." He paused and then added, "You have given us a reason to hope."

Jinsei bowed low and Mamoru returned the gesture. I mimicked him a beat later.

"Our gratitude for your generosity and kindness know no bounds. We are forever in your debt," Mamoru said, bowing again.

At that moment Rei entered the room again. "Everything is prepared, Grandfather," she said. "Are you ready?"

Mamoru nodded.

---------------------

The temple was perched on a hill just outside Mirror. The whole city lay before me, it's sloped roofs extending far beyond the city's siege walls. Rei led us to the stables, kept in an open courtyard on the east side of the temple. An attendant stood beside a large brown horse fitted with a wide saddle and two bags on either side.

"I guess that's it then," I said.

We turned to our hosts and exchanged bows silently.

"Mamoru-san, Serena-san" Jinsei said softly, adding a suffix of respect to our names, "we will keep a fire for you."

Mamoru nodded and then jumped easily on the horse. It took me a moment to realize that I was to ride behind him, and yet another to realize that I had to ride sidesaddle. By that time, he had already picked me up and dumped me unceremoniously on the horse's rump.

"Do I have to ride sideways?" I whispered. The prospect of doing this for three weeks did not sound very appealing.

"Yes," he said, spurring the horse forward. I had the premonition that he was going to try something flashy, so I gripped his waist tightly seconds before he urged the horse into a gallop.

"Goodbye!" I heard Rei call from behind us, and I turned and waved.

We were on our way. For now, though, I just concentrated on keeping my seat.

END PART I


	6. Why I Hated Chiba Mamoru Part II

Author's Note: And here's part II. Thanks for the comments! (And who wouldn't comment on Mamo-chan's ass if they had the pleasure of crawling behind him, hmm?) Public service reminder that you can find out about my novel and read the first three chapters if you follow the links on my profile.

Book Four: Why I Hated Chiba Mamoru (Part II)

While the issue of my riding sidesaddle was by no means closed, it was some time before I had an opportunity to bring it up again. Although the Setsuna hills lay almost directly north of us, the first part of our journey led us due east. We blended easily with the many other travelers as we clomped along the Eastern road.

"We are from the village of Han," he said after we had put a good distance between ourselves and Mirror. "It's a small village south of Mirror that was almost destroyed by the plague. No one will question our motives for traveling."

I nodded, and we lapsed into silence again. According to Jinsei, the Eastern road was one of the few safe roads left in Umeru. The Daimyo lords of Mirror and Yase had taken it upon themselves to fortify it after the Kojin's first attacks, a little over a year ago. Along the sides of the busy road countless vendors had set up temporary food stalls and roadside taverns, and were relentlessly hawking their wares to travelers.

"Mamoru, what's that?" I asked, pointing to a strange little stall that had bones hanging from the awning and rows upon rows of jars stuffed with unidentifiable objects in back.

"An apothecary from Cho'u. Probably doing a good business, too, with this plague."

"You mean he sells _medicines_," I said, eyeing the bones incredulously. "Like, what kinds of medicines?"

"I don't really know. Cho'u apothecaries are above the means of an ordinary villager. I've heard that dried centipede legs are quite popular for the plague, though. For the joints."

I suppressed the urge to vomit. "Why is the Kojin doing this? What possible reason is there?"

Mamoru stared straight ahead. "The Princess," he said softly.

"The Princess?"

He sighed. "Well, I'll try to explain it--as far as anyone understands, anyway. It won't make much sense to you unless you can understand what the Kojin is--or was--to this country. The Emperor's power, and therefore Umeru's safety, rested with the Kojin. The Kojin has been with the emperor's family for centuries. He and the Lady are the only two known practitioners of magic in the world, and his presence has always been the final arm of the emperor's power."

"What about the Lady?" I asked.

"She has always been a far less reliable presence, and never allied herself with one family like the Kojin. Without the Kojin, the daimyo lords would destroy us with their wars, and even with him their ambition was barely restrained. The emperor Nakatomi Ashitaka had one child, the Princess Minako, whom everyone expected would rule after him. I suppose she takes her coloring from her mother, a Hokusai, although I never saw the empress. As the story goes--and I don't know how true this is--the Kojin fell desperately in love with her. But the princess is...flighty, shall we say. She wanted nothing to do with him. In fact, they say that she laughed in his face when he proposed to her. You must understand that he is not regarded as precisely human. He has supported the Nakatomi clan as emperors for centuries, and his ability to wield magic and live forever sets him apart...she probably regarded his suit as ludicrous. He pursued her for years until one day she impressed upon him how little a chance he had with her. The Kojin flew into a jealous rage. He delivered the Emperor an ultimatum: either give his daughter over to him, or suffer the consequences.

"The emperor believed the Kojin's sincerity as little as the rest of the palace. I suppose they thought that his loyalty could not be lost over such a small matter. The emperor instead offered him a number of riches and beautiful women, but he withheld his daughter. The Kojin...was deadly serious, apparently. That night he left the palace. According to the emperor, he tried to steal the princess, but he discovered when he broke into her bedroom that she was already gone. The Lady had come and spirited her away, and nothing in the Kojin's magic could find her again. In a complete rage, he left the palace and hid himself somewhere. And then, he sent the plague. He tried to make the royal family tell him where the princess was, but they knew as little as he, and Lady was nowhere to be found. The plague infected the court first...and when he realized that he was dying as well, the emperor came to find me. The rest I believe you know. The hidden princess and I, the Emperor's bastard son, are the only two surviving members of the royal family. The Kojin's forces are everywhere, and people are disappearing without a trace. His desire for the princess is boundless, apparently."

"Oh god," I said. "That's terrible. I hope he never gets her."

"He won't if we can stop him first," Mamoru said and spurred his horse forward.

---------------------

An hour later, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever feel my butt again.

"Mamoru," I said, "you had better stop this horse." He brought it to a halt slowly, and turned to look at me.

"What is it now?"

"I absolutely cannot ride like this for the next three weeks."

"Is that it?" He turned around again and urged the horse into a walk.

"Did you hear me?" I pounded on his back for emphasis. He ignored me. "I cannot ride like this! And don't tell me you don't care."

"Too bad, I don't," he said.

"There's got to be another way for me to ride on this thing!"

"Serena, stop whining. We've got to get to Asuka by nightfall."

"Fine, have it your way," I muttered. Since it appeared that he was not going to stop the horse again, I carefully raised my left leg while gripping Mamoru's waist tightly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, squirming under my tight grip.

"None of your business," I said, swinging my leg over. Of course, kimonos had not been designed for such use, and in order to avoid exposing my more private areas, I had to hike the skirts to my knees.

"You didn't do what I think you just did, did you?" Mamoru asked, finally stopping the horse.

"What do you think I did?" I asked sweetly.

He turned around. "Didn't I tell you that you couldn't ride like that?"

"Why the hell not?"

He balled his fists in frustration. "Serena, I really don't have time to explain everything to you. As I believe I have mentioned, we are endeavoring to appear inconspicuous. I do not believe that a woman riding astride while showing an obscene amount of skin counts as inconspicuous!"

"Obscene amounts of skin?" I cringed under his verbal onslaught.

"Well, I'm sure it's just child's play to an exhibitionist of your caliber but, simply put, to most people showing that much of your leg would mark you as a prostitute. Do you want that? Now will you please sit on this horse properly so we can get on our way?"

Raising my chin with as much dignity as I could muster, I slid off the horse and allowed him to lift me up again. I bore his uncomfortably fast pace with what I hoped was stoic acceptance, but after an hour it had grown unbearable.

"Um...Mamoru?" I said.

"Yes?" His voice sounded resigned.

"Think you could slow down?" Now that I thought about it, we were passing everyone else on the road.

After a moment he obeyed, chuckling softly. I lay my head on his back, forgetting my stoicism and my anger. I enjoyed the way he shook when he laughed, and his smell. He was warm, as well, which was nice in the fall weather. The temperature had been fine during the day, but the sun was beginning to set and it was getting chilly.

"We're almost there," he said softly, not objecting to my position. "Just about one more hour." I did notice that the number of people on the road had increased, as had the clusters of small villages often found on the outskirts of cities. The hour passed quickly, for once not because we were arguing. In fact, I dozed off while leaning against him. I only surfaced when he pulled me gently from the horse after we had arrived at the inn. Night had fallen, I noticed when I opened my eyes. I allowed myself to lean against him a little longer than necessary while he instructed the stable boy to take care of our horse. He removed the saddlebags and we walked the door of the inn.

---------------------

It was a fairly small one-story building, with two beautifully made statues of seated monkeys flanking the doors. The curved roof and the small wooden porch were typical of most architecture that I had seen in this world. The hostess opened the large wooden doors as we neared, bowing her welcome.

"My wife and I would like some quiet rooms and food for the night," Mamoru said, and I felt a peculiar mix of frustration and pleasure at being called his wife.

"Of course," she said, bowing again. "Would you please come this way?" she asked, directing us towards the common room.

"Don't say anything out of character until we're by ourselves," Mamoru whispered to me as we walked inside. I nodded. The room contained two long tables, low to the ground with pillows underneath. Several people sat and conversed around them both. In the corner of a room, a beautiful girl, perhaps a bit younger than myself, played a curious looking instrument that resembled a small harp, laid on its side. She plucked the notes of a song delicately, accompanying her beautiful voice. I had never heard music similar to that before, and I stared, entranced. The scale was completely unfamiliar to me, and yet it had the same inexplicable charm that this entire world held. Mamoru had to jog my elbow gently before I realized that we should sit. We sat across from each other, at the end of the table closest to the door. I glanced all around me in a state of keen excitement.

"What are you smiling about?" Mamoru asked.

"Everything is so different here. Beautiful."

"You're easily pleased, aren't you?" His smile seemed gentler in the flickering lamplight. How could he look like that, I wondered, and then open his mouth and ruin the entire image?

"It depends on what's pleasing me," I said, smiling suggestively.

He laughed. "Like food?"

"Of course!" I said with mock indignation. "What did you think I was talking about?"

---------------------

After dining on miso soup and a dish of fried fish and vegetables, a serving girl led us to our rooms. The room was small, with a minimum amount of furnishings. A small circular window opened onto an inner courtyard. There was a low stool with a basin of water and a cloth next to a small mirror. Only rice mats covered the floor, and in the center of the room was a metal pan filled with ashes and coals with two large metal chopsticks beside it.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" I asked.

Mamoru put the saddlebags on the floor and then untied a large white roll of cloth. As he unrolled it, I realized that this must be our bedding, like the mat I had slept on at the temple.

"Um...Mamoru," I said, looking around, "where is the other mat?"

He glanced at me with raised eyebrows and then continued making the bed. "There isn't one."

"There isn't..." I trailed off. Somehow I had forgotten that masquerading as husband and wife would mean sleeping in the same bed. I groaned and sat down on the floor near the metal pan. I picked up one of the chopsticks and idly pushed around the coals, hoping to encourage a little more warmth.

"We have blankets, right?" I asked, looking up at Mamoru.

I didn't register that he was changing out of his clothes until he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Wait, what are you doing?" My intensity wasn't due so much to prudish indignation as an upsurge of hormones. Then I realized that his midsection was covered in bandages.

"Oh my god," I breathed, "What happened to you?"

He gave me his most withering expression. Despite that, I moved closer, overcome with an insane desire to take care of him.

"I believe that you can answer that question yourself," he said.

"What are you talking about? You can't possibly say that I..." I trailed off, my momentary indignation giving way to horror. "You can't mean...that time in the dungeon...when I kicked...oh my god..."

He nodded.

"Why didn't you just say something?"

"You didn't ask. Really, though, we were in a hurry. It wasn't worth mentioning."

"You swam across that river..."

He winced. "Yes, well, that was a little difficult, I'll admit. Listen Serena, Ushiro and the others had done most of the job before you...greeted me in your inimitable fashion."

I stared at him in surprise before I remembered that he had mentioned his cracked ribs in the journal. "I just made it worse, you mean." Why did he have to look so gorgeous sitting there, smiling at me? Why was this new information giving him a proverbial halo? I desperately wanted him to say something mean so I wouldn't have to see him this way.

"It's all right, Serena. I'll survive," he said and his sardonic air reassured me that he still hadn't changed. I knew, however, that I would have to come to terms with this eventually. Preferably when I was far away from the man in question. That particular smile of his was probably illegal in several countries.

"Tell you what," he said, "I'll forgive everything if you'll just do one little favor?"

"What do you want?" I asked, backing away slightly.

"I just want you to change the bandages...what did you think I was going to ask?"

"I don't know, Mamo-chan. With you, anything is possible." He opened his mouth but I ignored him. "I know, I know, don't call you that."

---------------------

My hands shook. I wasn't very squeamish about this sort of thing. In fact, I had volunteered at a hospital for several years, but you would have thought I spent my whole life in a convent from the way I reacted to Mamoru. There was just something about him that magnified all of my emotions, my reactions, my tendencies. I was like four of my normal selves around him--a super-concentrated Serena, if that makes any sense. I was breathing heavily when I finished, my entire body trembling. I tried to pass it off, standing up nonchalantly to take off my kimono, but as soon as I stood I fell against the wall. I knew that Mamoru noticed, but for once he had the tact not to say anything. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I hated myself for showing any weakness in front of Mamoru. With the aid of the small mirror, I carefully removed the combs and braided my hair, while he unrolled and studied Jinsei's map. I took off the top kimono and the under kimono and folded them carefully. Wearing only the white linen jiban that I supposed counted as underwear here, I crawled into bed.

"You coming?" I asked after I had regained some of my composure. Mamoru glanced up from the map and nodded.

He climbed in next to me, still wearing his pants. I wondered--idly, I hoped--what real married couples wore to bed here. Nothing? It occurred to me that as many times as Mamoru had seen me naked, I had never seen him. That the thought even occurred to me was disturbing, that I found it disappointing did not bear contemplating. He blew out the lamp and we lay together for a moment, bathed by moonlight. He pulled the covers up further.

"Good night, Serena," he said softly. After a moment, he leaned over to kiss me on the forehead.

I lay there frozen long into the night.

---------------------

After a quick breakfast taken a mere hour after dawn, I was hauled back upon the horse and we continued our journey. While I had been too excited to really notice the day before, it struck me that several people on the road were looking at us, and myself in particular, rather strangely. At first I was afraid that the Kojin might have discovered us, but their curiosity did not seem malicious, only surprised.

"Um, Mamoru... I think everybody is staring at me," I said towards afternoon.

"Why would they stare at us?"

"Not us, me. I don't know why they're staring at me, but it's scary!"

"Serena, don't be vain."

"I am not being vain! Everyone's looking at me! See," I said, pointing to yet another culprit. "He's staring!"

Mamoru forced my arm down and turned to face me. "He's staring because you're shouting and pointing at him."

"That is not why!"

"Then why would he be staring at you?"

"I don't know! That's the point. People have been staring at me since we left the inn."

"Somehow I really find this a little hard to believe."

"Okay, fine, if we get captured, no one can say it is my fault. Though my body may be mangled and tortured, I can be safe in the knowledge that it is all because of one certain cocky bastard called Mamo-chan!"

"Serena, stop that. I already told you that I won't let anything happen to you."

"Oh, sure, that's what you say, but here my life is in danger, and you won't even believe me!"

"Your life is in danger because a few guys are staring at you?"

"Well...why else would they be staring at me unless the Kojin sent them?" How did he do this to me? Here I was going back on my logic of a mere moment ago.

"There are tons of other reasons, Serena. I don't know, maybe they just think you're pretty."

My retort stuck in my throat, and I gazed at his innocent looking back in shock. Did he just say that?

"Did you just say that?"

"Say what?"

"About my being pretty."

"Well..." He coughed. "Sure...I mean...you wouldn't start a war, but it's not like you're bad to look at..."

I grimaced. "I'll take that as a compliment."

He stilled the horse. "Are you hungry? This looks like as good a place as any to eat." He dismounted, helped me off and then led the horse into the tall grass on the side of the road.

Most of the landscape in this area was a grassy plain, and I enjoyed the appearance of the rolling hills, covered in waist high grass. Mamoru allowed the horse to graze, and then spread out a blanket for us to sit on. I sat down while he took some food from our bags.

"Where did you get this?" I said, staring at the expensive array of sushi and wheat cakes.

"A food stall this morning," he said, looking sideways at me with a hopeful smile. Inwardly I begged him to stop being so nice, to stop smiling like that. "So, do you think you can handle the chopsticks this time?"

"Despite your none-too-subtle hints otherwise, I'm sure that I'll manage."

Mamoru just looked at me as I picked up my chopsticks, and smiled as I proceeded to make a mess of myself.

---------------------

On the road again, I grew aware of a pressing bodily urge that I been endeavoring to ignore.

"Um...Mamoru," I said, squashing my legs together.

"Hmmm?" he said, trying to avoid getting too close to a richly appointed ox-drawn carriage that was passing us.

"Is there a place that I can um...you know..."

"You're still hungry? We just ate lunch!"

"While I know you seem to think I bear distinct similarities to a barnyard animal, everything I say to you is not a request for food!"

He sighed, but I could tell he was smiling. It was strange how some of our arguments were like this, angry on the surface, but underneath we were enjoying ourselves. "In the name of peace, I will refrain from comment. What did you want to know?"

"I...um...need to pee." I said, squeezing my legs together again.

He laughed. "You certainly are blunt, aren't you? Well, there's a small stream a little ways off if you're really desperate..."

"I assure you that this is a dire situation."

Without another word he turned the horse off the road toward more of the open plain, occasionally dotted with patches of trees. He must have been following some invisible trail, or maybe I was just too preoccupied to notice, but we arrived, none too soon, at the bottom of a hill surrounded by some low foliage. In front of us lay the stream. I leaped off the horse, unmindful of decorum this far away from prying eyes.

"Turn around," I said. Peeing on the side of the road was the kind of thing my mother had threatened me with when I didn't want to go before we left the house. Now, here I was, and I didn't care at all.

When I finished I carefully replaced the kimono, and allowed myself a fleeting wish for the luxuries of toilet paper.

"You done yet?" Mamoru asked, leaning over the saddle.

"Yes." I walked next to him. He smiled at me in that funny way of his.

"Your turn, then," he said, handing me the reins. At first I obediently turned around while he went to the stream, taking a moment to be amazed at how open our relationship had become. We still fought like cats, but we were incredibly comfortable around each other. This kind of scenario would have been terribly embarrassing with anybody else, but with Mamoru, I just felt amused.

Speaking of amusement, I thought, slowly turning my head around. I dropped the reins softly, my breath frozen inside of my chest. With the greatest of ease, I tiptoed behind and pushed him with judicious force. He landed with what was, I must say, quite a satisfying splash.

---------------------

I arrived at the inn of the small village with a bedraggled Mamoru, who was still refusing to speak to me. I knew he wasn't mad, though. The tilt of his head, the quirk of his lips when he thought I wasn't looking and the way his eyebrows kept inching up his face belied his best efforts. It should have scared me that I could read him so well, but I was too saddle sore to bother.

This inn was a little shoddier as the last one, but we both barely noticed it. I fetched the food while Mamoru changed his clothes. He had been shivering when we arrived. I told the innkeeper that we preferred to eat alone and waited for a serving girl to bring me a tray.

Silence greeted my appearance in the common room. I waited nervously for the food. Why wouldn't Mamoru believe me when I told him people stared at me? It had become worse as we neared the capital. I knew that it wasn't my coloring that made me so conspicuous. While blonde hair was rare in the south, Mamoru had told me it was fairly common among the Hokusai people up north. I had certainly seen more than a few people with it on the road. I practically grabbed the tray out of the serving girl's hands when she finally returned and hurried back to our room.

After we ate, I fished a comb from our saddlebag and began combing out the day's tangles.

"Is there any place to take a bath around here?" I asked, running my comb through my hair. It would be so nice to wash away some of that road dust.

"I could always push you into a river," he said, kneeling behind me in the mirror. He rested his hands on my shoulders. I shuddered, but made no move to displace him.

"You know," he said, "you remind me of someone..." His eyes traced the path of my hand as it combed the gleaming strands of blonde hair.

"Who?" I asked softly.

He shook his head. "I have no idea...you just seem familiar somehow."

The situation had suddenly grown too strange. His intense gaze and my erratically beating heart belonged in a romance novel, not my real life.

"Well," I said, trying to clear the air, "I've always thought you were crazy, but now you've definitely gone over the edge."

"If I've gone crazy, it's only because of a certain blonde exhibitionist," he said as he stood up again. I breathed a sigh of relief and finished braiding my hair.

I moved to the bed and lay down, feeling strangely alert although my body was exhausted. Mamoru looked at me, and then blew out the oil lamps. Moonlight bathed us then, and he lay beside me silently. He closed his eyes, but I knew he was awake--his body was far too tense. I stared at his profile, unable to tear my eyes away, but feeling as though I was somehow intruding. He looked beautiful in the moonlight too. Too soon, sleep caught up with me and I drifted away, my hand gently upon Mamoru's own.

---------------------

I woke up gradually, feeling as though something were missing. Cracking my eyes open, I saw that it was still dark outside. I rolled over, preparing to fall asleep again when I realized that Mamoru wasn't there. I sat straight up in alarm before I saw him, standing in front of the window, staring up at the moon.

"Mamoru," I said, my voice still rough with sleep, "what are you doing?" I probably shouldn't have said anything, should have left him alone, but he looked too sad for me to ignore. There were so many things I didn't know about him. The façade he presented to me was one of total nonchalance and fearless competence. Yet, here I saw a completely different man, one who was vulnerable, and didn't want to show it to anyone.

At first I thought that he hadn't heard me. He hadn't moved at all. I was about to lie down again, when his voice, soft and low, startled me again.

"It's a night of two moons," he said. "Legends say that two moons deaden magic as much as no moon awakens it. Tonight, the horse moon gives its power to the rabbit moon. If I were a diviner, I'd say that means to be careful. Of course...I'm not." I remained silent as if by compulsion after this strange speech. His voice had the tone of one recalling a painful memory.

"My mom first told me about the moons. I was...eight I think. She was the village diviner, but others called her a priestess. Everyone respected her, but it made me a bit of an outcast. I never cared though," and I detected a ghost of a smile in his voice, "she was my mother, she was beautiful, and I loved her. She told me how the moons gave our world life. Not magic, she said, but something different. Power. She said that within the waxing and waning of the moons was the key to the power of the earth itself. I loved it when she said things like that, even if I never understood her. The seventh moon, she told me, was the most powerful and the most elusive. Umeru has six guardian moons--the Serpent, the Quetzal, the Goat, the Monkey, the Horse and the Rabbit--but none of them can equal the power of the faceless, unseen seventh moon. Or so she told me." He shrugged his shoulders. "As I said, I never really understood.

"We weren't originally from the village. She never told me where we came from...only that she had come to live her life as she wanted. I don't blame her for not telling me about my father. After all, she never would have suspected he would ever want to find me. I hated him for doing that to her, though..."

My heart was in my throat and my eyes ached from my unblinking attention. I had never known, never so much as suspected such a confession from Mamoru.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm even here, why I agreed to the Emperor's request. I admit that I wanted him to die...but this is not about revenge. It's my duty. My mother could have lived in the palace, with all of its luxuries, but she chose to live in a village and have her freedom. I couldn't...desecrate her memory and refuse the emperor."

"And the amulet?" I asked in a quavering voice, gripping it tightly.

"She had been making it since almost the moment we arrived in the village. She finished when I was sixteen. And then...the neighboring lord's troops invaded our district. We were right on the border...almost everything was destroyed before the Emperor could suppress it. My mother...died protecting me. She hid me under the floorboards. I remember--I could hear the screams and the clash of swords. I wanted to go out there and fight, but she wouldn't let me. I almost hated her for that...later. I thought, if I had been there, I could have saved her. She said that she was going to get help...now, I think she meant the Emperor. At the last minute, she shoved the amulet into my hand, and told me to keep it safe. 'It contains a mother's love,' she said, 'It will protect you when you need it most.'

"That was the last I saw of her. She died just beyond the village...shot clean through the heart."

His voice was disturbingly flat as he said this, and I felt sick with horror. He had only been sixteen. When I was sixteen my only worries had been boys and books. Now I understood the kind of gulf that lay between us, but I also saw how desperately I wanted to cross it. However unemotional he may have sounded, I knew that this still hurt him deeply.

"Why...why am I still wearing your amulet then?" I asked, and my voice was so quiet that I could barely hear it.

He had no difficulty, however, and turned towards me. I was shocked at the stark pain on his face, in sharp contrast to his emotionally controlled voice. "It seemed like the kind of thing my mom would want," he said. "And...I messed up one time. I refuse to fail again, but, if I do, perhaps the amulet will do the job for me."

"Fail to do what?" I asked, afraid that I already knew the answer.

"Protect you," he said simply.

He climbed into bed again, while I stared at him in forced silence. What he had told me completely changed my view of him, and I was too shocked to even care. I wanted to hold his hand, but I wondered if that would be too intrusive. I thought about pretending I had heard nothing out of the ordinary, but that didn't feel right either.

"Thank you," I finally said, softly.

But, by that time, he had already fallen asleep. It took me much longer.

---------------------

Despite the revelations of the night before, the next day turned out to be rather uneventful. We argued over breakfast as though nothing strange had happened the night before. I was secretly relieved; I didn't know how long I could handle the Mamoru I glimpsed last night. I called him Mamo-chan perhaps more often than normal, just as an easy way to start a fight. As long as we were fighting, I realized, I didn't have to worry about any strange new emotions.

Our roadside lunch that day was considerably less impressive than it had been the day before.

"Mamo-chan," I said, wrinkling my nose at the pungent smell of dried fish and the fermented soybean goop they called natto, "you couldn't do better than this? Ugh, I _hate_ natto!"

He glowered at me. "Pardon me, Princess, but we don't precisely have the funds to dine on sushi every day. Are you going to eat or not? Because if you aren't, I'll be perfectly happy to finish this on my own."

"You ought to let me deal with the food next time. I promise I'll come up with something better."

He leaned over me. "Do you know how annoying you are?"

I raised my eyebrows at his angry bulk and jokingly reached for Petunia's Barbie doll. I held it in front of me to ward him off.

"Hey, don't make me use this!" I said, smiling.

Mamoru looked upon the naked doll with an expression resembling horror.

"Dear gods," he said, sitting back on his heels in amazement, "what kind of perversion is that?"

I blinked at him a few times before breaking out in helpless giggles.

"Oh, Mamo-chan!" I said between gasps of laughter. "If only all guys thought like you!"

---------------------

That evening we slept in someone's barn, since we were miles away from any town large enough for an inn. Our route had finally angled us in the general direction of the Setsuna hills, but that meant traveling through sparsely populated countryside. People still stared at me, and I knew that Mamoru had begun to notice it. I could only hope that we would remain unmolested. Mamoru had given the family who owned the farm some money for our accommodations, but they had also fed us, and I flattered myself into thinking that I hadn't made that big of a fool of myself. Mamoru had refrained from comment, which I took at face value. Actually, I was rather excited about the prospect of sleeping in a barn; it had a romantic air to it. The straw turned out to be itchy, but that didn't stop me from playing in it like I was five.

"Okay, Serena-chan," Mamoru said, "will you stop that? We need to talk."

I tossed some hay at him and started giggling again. I rolled around in the loft, uncaring of what got caught in my hair. It's not every day that you get your own personal hayloft, after all.

"I always knew you weren't the most mature person of my acquaintance, Serena, but really, this is ridiculous."

I couldn't get angry with him since I knew it wasn't really an insult, so I just tossed more straw at him.

"Serena!" he shouted as he plucked straw out of his hair.

"All right, all right, Mr. Responsibility." I sat up in the hay. "What is it?"

He sat next to me. "Are you aware," he said, plucking hay from my hair, "of how you look?"

"Didn't you say that you wanted to talk to me about something? Was it my appearance?"

Still plucking the hay from my hair absentmindedly, he said, "Well, aside from the fact that you look like a straw monster, I have no complaints."

"Thanks," I said, ignoring the shudders that ran through me as he touched my hair.

"So, did you hear what that lady said about the Kojin's hideout?" he said.

"Sure, but I've also heard that he is living in a subterranean city with minions of the dead. I'm not sure how credible these people are."

Mamoru shrugged. "Well, this one seems slightly more likely, I think."

"Maybe. So where is this island of Yonde?" I asked.

"It's a smaller one to the north of here. The winters there are brutal, and if he is living in a mountain fortress, as she claims, it gives him a considerable amount of natural protection. Add that to the extensive magical and physical guard that he is sure to put around him..."

"But you know," I said, "I think there could be a way for me to verify where he is."

"How?"

"Maybe the same way I found out you were in trouble before. That time all I did was open myself...it might be possible." I shrugged my shoulders, "Well, it won't hurt to try, at least."

Mamoru's brows were furrowed, but he nodded. "This isn't dangerous, is it? It would be useful, but it's not worth you risking yourself."

I smiled a little. "Don't worry about me. Now just be quiet for a bit while I try."

I crossed my legs in the hay and closed my eyes. I dismissed Mamoru's concern from my mind as I sought the same kind of open state I had achieved once before in Petunia's foyer. Gradually, I could feel that strange power enfolding me as the meditation deepened. I focused on the idea of the Kojin and the frozen island of Yonde. With a sense of almost physical dislocation, I felt myself floating in what seemed to be a night sky littered with stars. Below me, I saw a large, ancient building of cold gray stone. I wondered if this was the Kojin's fortress, and then decided to move closer, to see if I could discover anything more. It was strangely difficult getting close, however, like I was swimming through molasses. Suddenly I found that I couldn't move at all, and I could sense a presence, terrifyingly strong, all around me. I shrieked and then I heard laughter.

"Who is this?" I heard, and then a face appeared before me--a middle aged man with thinning curly brown hair and sharp violet eyes. Those violet eyes widened as he looked at me. I could feel a sudden blast of anger augment his power.

"Minako?" he said quietly. And then he roared the name, a sound of vicious triumph.

"No!" I shouted, desperately trying to break away. "I'm not! Let me go!"

And then a sharp, burning pain startled me, dragged my consciousness out of his grip and straight back to my body, still shaking on the hay in the loft of the barn.

Mamoru was holding me by my shoulders, his eyes terrified. He was screaming my name and there was a knife, the blade red with blood in the straw at his feet. My eyes were watering. I tried to stop the tears but they continued despite me.

"I'm...alright," I said. "It's okay, Mamoru. I'm alright."

His eyes closed and he hugged me for a long moment, so tightly I could hardly breathe. When he let go, his hand brushed my upper arm and I gasped. I saw a gash, still bleeding, and I remembered the sharp, burning pain that had released me from the Kojin's grip.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes miserable, "it was the only way I could think to release you. You didn't respond when I shook you or yelled your name. What happened?"

I shuddered. "You probably saved my life. I shouldn't have done that...I found the Kojin's stronghold...I also found the Kojin. He screamed at me, I thought he would destroy me...thank you."

Mamoru shook his head. "Not now. You're still bleeding." He took a cloth, some bandages and water out of our bags. Avoiding my eyes, he wet the cloth and wiped the cut, which did not look so serious once he cleaned away the blood. I wondered if his hands were really trembling as he wound the bandage around my arm, or if that was just my imagination. When he finished, he sat next to me and lay back in the hay, closing his eyes.

"How are we ever supposed to stop him?" I asked.

"I don't know...when we find the Lady..." he opened his eyes again and looked at me, "we have to find the Lady."

And I knew he was right.

---------------------

The next day we continued down a road that was, Mamoru informed me, notorious for its bandits. They had been especially dangerous lately, which accounted for the conspicuous lack of fellow travelers without an armed guard.

"Mamoru," I said, when an ox-driven cart followed by mounted sentries passed us. "How are we supposed to survive if bandits attack us?"

His eyes scanned the sides of the road and up ahead. "Don't worry," he said.

"Don't start with me, Mamoru! I don't care how good you are, you still can't overcome a troupe of trained bandits."

"Hopefully, I won't have to, but if I do, I promise you'll be safe."

"Brilliant," I said.

After another hour of riding in silence, we had an opportunity to test his assurance. In the distance I could see a group of bandits raiding an entourage of sumptuous ox-driven carriages. Their sheer numbers and ruthless fighting skills were quickly overwhelming the travelers. Mamoru quickly reined the horse to a stop and moved us to the side of the road. Unfortunately, the plain gave us little cover, and we both knew that the bandits were sure to see us once their initial quarry had been subdued. We did not dare ride further into the plain or back down the road, because we would only call attention to ourselves. So we hunched in the waist-high grass and prayed. Too soon the fighting was finished, and hard though I hoped they would take their loot and move on, they remained on the road.

"Go see if anyone else is around," one man barked, and we heard the approaching footsteps of two men. Mamoru was looking at me now, his hand on his sword hilt. I restrained him; fighting was the surest way to get ourselves killed.

"Serena," he whispered, his eyes locked on my face. He seemed desperately confused by something. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide in what appeared to be disbelief.

"I know," he whispered again, and then the men were upon us and there was no place left for us to go. I turned my eyes to face them, ready to accept my fate with dignity--

And Mamoru kissed me.

---------------------

Positioning himself so he fully blocked me from the view of the men, his lips met mine and I felt like exploding. I gripped him convulsively, my back arching slightly. I had never dreamed that anything could feel like this, or if I had, I never believed that it would happen to me. I didn't know why he was kissing me, why he seemed to have disregarded our imminent danger, but I didn't care. What I suspected had begun as a matter of expediency quickly descended into passion on both sides. My lips, my whole body was on fire. I had never been kissed like this before, and it made me wonder what sex would be like with him. His arms were wrapped protectively around my lower back, supporting me as much as embracing. In that moment, as our tongues met in what was at once paradoxically gentle and savage, I could have thrown out all of my inhibitions, declared my love to the world, admitted to myself what was becoming increasingly hard to ignore over the course of our journey...but I didn't. Perhaps I was just stubborn, or perhaps my protective emotions were still too strong. I felt far too exposed declaring this to Mamoru, and it was safer just to deny it to myself as well.

The men, a few feet away from us, began to talk. The kiss continued, but its intensity lessened as we both disengaged our minds enough to make sense of the conversation.

"What did you two find over there?" the leader asked.

"Just two lovebirds in the grass," one answered.

"Maybe we can join in on the fun..." the other one suggested with a lecherous grunt, and I shuddered involuntarily.

"Jisho, on your own time!" the leader said, somehow hearing the man from several yards away. "Are they the ones?"

"Nah, I don't think so," said the first speaker, even as they walked away. "Honestly, Jisho, don't you think you can wait until evening?" the man muttered under his breath. "You're going to get us in trouble..."

In the tense moments that followed, we heard the sounds of the men moving out, the confiscated ox-driven carriages between them. There were sounds of women weeping from within, and in a moment of horror I realized why Jisho only needed to wait until evening. I wanted to get up, crusade, and do something to save them, but I knew that I couldn't. If I revealed myself, our entire journey was over. We had to find the Lady. If we didn't save these people, at least we would help others in this world. The thought did not relieve my feelings of guilt.

We still hadn't broken off our kiss. In fact, we were doing rather well considering that half of our attention was focused elsewhere. After the sounds of the bandit gang grew even more distant, the kiss deepened for a few heady moments. It was as though Mamoru was trying to suck the last few drops of pleasure from my lips before he released me. I stared at him for a shocked moment, still lying limp in his arms.

"Serena," he said and his voice was rough and his breathing was hard. Now that we had stopped, I could barely believe what we had just done. He placed me down gently on the grass.

"Serena," he began again, and this time his voice was slightly steadier. "I think...perhaps...perhaps we should forget about this..."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I think...I think we just were...carried away." God, but I enjoyed it.

He nodded nervously, running his hand through his hair. His eyes began to trace my figure, and then I saw him force himself to stop. What was going on through his mind now? How many girls had he kissed to learn to do it like that? And why did I care, anyway?

"Mamoru," I said, my voice cracking, "why...why...did you..." I couldn't get it out.

"They would have seen, otherwise," he said. His gaze was more direct this time.

"Seen what?"

"Your hair."

---------------------

Which was how I discovered why everyone had been staring at me for the past five days. Apparently, my hair made me a dead-ringer for the princess.

"Why didn't you notice before?" I asked, when we had made it to an inn.

"I grew up in a small village, on the edge of nowhere. The only place I've seen the princess is in picture scrolls...between that and descriptions of her, it's understandable that it took me a while."

"Isn't she your sister?"

He looked away suddenly, and I regretted my tactlessness. "Yes. Of course, I didn't know that at the time."

I also realized something that Mamoru had not mentioned, probably because he didn't want to alarm me. Those had not been ordinary bandits. The fact that they had attacked such an obviously defended entourage and won, but didn't attack us was particularly notable. They were looking for someone, and I was afraid that I knew who.

I sat in front of the mirror, looking at my hair helplessly. We had decided that it would be a good idea for me to change my hairstyle, but with my hair type, changing it drastically enough to look _different_ would be difficult.

"You know," I said, fiddling idly with my hair, "I've been thinking about the story you told me, about the Kojin and the Princess. Don't you think it's strange that the Kojin would go through this much trouble just because he wanted the Princess in his bed? I mean, he's lived for centuries, hasn't he? Why would one girl put him out so much?"

"As far as I can tell, even the Emperor didn't know much more than what I told you. I admit it's a little strange, but if there is another reason, only the Princess, the Kojin and the Lady know about it."

I sighed. "Which doesn't help us, does it? I keep thinking about how angry the Kojin was he saw me looking at his fortress. Minako...that's the princess' name, isn't it?"

"Yes. Did he call you that?"

I nodded. "I guess he thought I was the Princess, too. And his reaction to me was...not one I would expect from a thwarted lover."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. I mean, he's probably insane, Serena. Even if we did give the Princess to him--if we could convince the Lady to--he probably wouldn't stop this terror. In fact, it might even get worse."

I shuddered. "You're right. But you know," I said, an amusing thought having occurred to me, "you were wrong about one thing."

"What?"

"I could start a war, after all."

---------------------

More than one, as it turned out. With a few inspired twists and hairpins, I had transformed my appearance. I'd gathered up my hair into balls on both sides of my head, letting most of it flow free down my back: sort of like a cross between Princess Leia, Minnie Mouse and Lady Lovely Locks. I looked very different, and in a strange sort of way, I liked it. Mamoru was evidently not a fan, however. As soon as he saw me, he started to laugh until his eyes watered.

"You look like you have two dumplings on a stick," he said.

"Oh, very mature, Mamo-chan," I said.

"I told you not to call me that... Lady Dumpling Head!"

I choked with indignation. "Lady Dumpling Head...Lady Dumpling Head? What did you just call me?"

Which marked the beginning of the Mamo-chan vs. Lady Dumpling Head wars. At least it passed the time.

---------------------

The next day I underwent the most awful, hideous and harrowing event of what had already become a journey worth remembering.

I got my period.

I suppose, in the back of my mind, I had known that it had to happen sometime. But I had seen no calendars here, and even if I had, their months didn't even roughly correspond to mine. My stomach began its initial tremors while we were still on the road. Trying to ignore the pain, I leaned on Mamoru's back and stared listlessly at the ground. I longed for an aspirin, but I hadn't seen anything resembling painkillers on our journey--unless you counted the centipede legs. I began to breathe heavily.

"Are you all right, Serena?" Mamoru asked, looking back at me.

"Yes," I lied through gritted teeth.

He paused, but then continued without saying anything more. About half an hour later, I told him to stop the horse. I slid off quickly and stumbled to the side of the road where I proceeded to discard what looked to be every meal I had eaten that week from my stomach. I knelt there, shaking, unable to think coherently. I felt Mamoru's hands on my shoulders, and I leaned against him gratefully. While I had never exactly looked forward to that time of the month, my period had never been this bad.

"Serena," Mamoru said, "what's wrong with you?"

I couldn't seem to focus on what he was saying. What if I bleed through my kimono? But Mamoru's worried look compelled me to try to respond.

"I really need to get to the inn...I think," I said as I clutched my stomach. Even my back ached, but I felt too weak to sit up straight. He helped to my feet, and half carried me back to the horse. He mounted and then pulled me up in front of him. This way, I was in no danger of sliding off the horse, although it was harder for him to ride.

"Don't worry, Serena," he said gently, and I was amazed at how scared he seemed. "We'll be there in moment."

I nodded, since I knew if I opened my mouth it would be to scream. I rested my head against his chest, and prayed that it would soon be over. We did, in fact, make it to the town far sooner than I had expected. He traversed the streets quickly, inquiring for directions to the inn in a curt, controlled voice. He carried me from the horse to the inn, which would have felt nice had I been in any sort of mood to appreciate it.

"My wife is very sick...is there a priestess here who can see her?"

The innkeeper looked alarmed. "Is it the plague?" he asked.

"No," Mamoru said. "Check for yourself," he added, when the man looked dubious. Still eyeing Mamoru warily, he reached over gingerly and moved my arm back and forth at the elbow, then my knee. Apparently this satisfied him.

"Of course, we'll send for one immediately."

I tuned out the ensuing confusion, content to let Mamoru handle everything. He took me to the room and lay me on the futon with an aching gentleness. I saw him watching in helpless concern as I wrestled with another attack. It occurred to me that some women dealt with stress by missing their periods. I dealt with stress by nearly killing myself. Well, this probably wasn't life threatening, but it was doing a fair imitation. Soon after he put me down, the priestess entered the room. She was elderly, with gray hair and a simple kimono.

She looked at Mamoru appraisingly. "Perhaps you could leave for a time?" she asked.

Mamoru looked at her like he wanted to refuse, but left after a moment's pause. The woman closed the screen door, but I saw his shadow pacing just behind it, and smiled a little.

The priestess knelt next to the bed and untied a large green silk sack that she had tied just above her obi. She studied me for a moment and then placed her slightly veined hands on my stomach.

"Women's illness," she said finally. "It attacks some of us more than others. You appear to be among the unfortunate."

I looked at the door, where Mamoru's pacing shadow had paused. Well, he would have found out eventually, I thought.

---------------------

After she had finished, I lay on the mat in a clean jiban, feeling light headed but pain free. Whatever she had given me felt like a combination of pot and codeine, which made for a happy Serena. The priestess had explained to me how women dealt with these things, and while not exactly pleasant, it was livable. After leaving me a liberal amount of the miracle herb, the priestess left, passing Mamoru on his way in.

"Are you all right?" he asked, sitting beside the bed. I looked at him, faintly surprised. Most guys I knew fled at the thought of a girl's period, but Mamoru didn't seem to care. Maybe it was a product of growing up with a single mother.

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."

He barely nodded, still staring at me intently. "The priestess said that we should stay here for at least another day."

"Another day? You know we can't afford to stay in one place for too long. What if the Kojin and Ushiro find us?"

"You were really sick today, Serena," he said, almost as though he were pleading.

And I didn't know how long I could handle it, suddenly, if he didn't stop being so nice.

He smiled reassuringly.

I closed my eyes.

---------------------

I slept till late the next day. Mamoru must have given me more of the wonder drug, because the supply was lower and I still felt a little high. I also felt much better. I sat up gingerly, a little surprised when I saw that Mamoru was not in the room. The sun was setting outside my window, but I didn't need that reminder to tell me how hungry I was. I stood up and promptly fell down.

Well, it seemed I was more tired than I had initially thought. Gritting my teeth, I stood up again, leaning on the wall behind me to regain my balance. I pulled the small mirror from our saddlebags and stared at my reflection. I barely recognized myself: the deep bags under my eyes and pale complexion made me look like a character in an Anne Rice novel. While this particular backwater inn did not supply mirrors, it did supply a medium-sized bowl of water, which I splashed liberally on my face. Hoping that it made me look marginally better--although I really didn't know why I cared--I searched through our stuff for my extra kimono. I hoped that Mamoru had taken the old one to the local equivalent of a dry cleaner. The other kimono, when I found it, was as simple as the last, with a blue under kimono and a top one made of light pink silk with a red obi. I put it on with learned skill and returned the Barbie doll to its rightful place next to me. Mamoru's amulet, as always, hung from my neck. I had always been careful with it, but after his story, its importance had increased infinitely.

I walked into the hall and put on my shoes, which were lying neatly in front of the door. I walked down the stairs slowly with one hand on the wall for stability. I saw Mamoru as soon as I entered the common room. He was sitting near the doors, away from the larger crowd by the hearth. All of those people couldn't possibly be patrons of the relatively small inn, and I wondered what event would draw people from the village. Mamoru was sitting at a small table, staring expressionlessly into space. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder lightly. His sword was halfway out of its sheath even before he had turned around. I backed away, making a quick mental note never to surprise him again. Our close-quarters sometimes made me forget how dangerous he really was. I had no desire to be on the receiving end of that sword.

He looked at me and sighed. "Oh, it's you. Don't do that again, okay? I could hurt you."

I looked at him curiously. That didn't sound like the Mamoru I knew. He should have insulted me for my carelessness. I sat down on the other end of the table and looked into his eyes. He really did seem upset about something.

"Um...Mamoru?" I said. The temptation to say Mamo-chan was strong, if only to bring him out of this depression, but I resisted. "What's up?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"The sky?" he suggested, and I snorted with laughter.

"I never expected to hear anyone say that and be serious," I said. "I mean, are you all right? What have you been doing?"

He sighed, and looked away from me. "Getting supplies. I'm afraid that we may have to change our route if some of these rumors are true. It might just be safer to stay away from large towns altogether."

"Why?" I asked. While he talked I appropriated his untouched miso noodle soup and proceeded to demolish it.

"People are saying that the Kojin's men are riding from village to village, declaring that all who side with the Kojin won't have to suffer the disappearances or the plague again. For loyalty--and immediate deliverance of those he is looking for--they will receive immunity. I wish I could say that people won't surrender, but..." his eyes still avoided mine. "You haven't been here this past year. So many have died, and scores have simply disappeared without a trace. I think that many are willing to sacrifice everything just to put their lives back together."

"Oh," I said softly. The longer we took to find the lady, the worse the situation would become. "I'm sorry," I said after a moment, "We should have left yesterday. It's my fault."

"One day isn't going to matter in the end and...you needed it. Why are you down here, anyway? Shouldn't you be resting?"

I rolled my eyes. "I've been sleeping all day. Besides, I'm starving." I looked at the untouched meal in front of him. "Why aren't you eating?"

He shrugged his shoulders, and I wondered if something else was bothering him besides our situation with the Kojin. I didn't have a chance to ask, though, because the crowd began to quiet. I could barely make out a seated figure carrying a strange, lute-like object.

"What's going on over there?" I asked.

"It's just a biwa hoshi," he said.

"What's that?"

"A lute priest. They travel from town to town telling stories."

I felt a growing excitement. "There's such a large crowd here. Is he supposed to be good?"

Mamoru shrugged. "I suppose so. I didn't ask anyone."

"Well, aren't you just the soul of curiosity."

A few trilled opening notes indicated that the man had begun his tale, and I turned towards him. The lute priest's language was beautiful, and though his manner of delivery and singing was foreign to me, I grew to enjoy it. The music was not as toneless as it sounded at first. Mamoru perked up when the priest began his tale, curiosity in his eyes.

"This is unusual," he said.

"What?" I asked, most of my attention still fixed on the priest.

"I've never heard this story before..."

"Long ago," the priest began, "in another world, there lived a brother and sister. They were different in every way imaginable. The boy, the older of the two, was solid and dependable. He was a good son to his parents, and they cherished him as the perfect heir to their fortunes. The parents despaired over their daughter. She was flighty, unreliable and never listened to a word her parents said.

"While her brother was sent away to be educated, she remained at home. Instead of learning her proper womanly duties, however, she ran with other boys. She never dressed properly, and never learned how to sew or cook. She was very intelligent, however, and she taught herself to speak several different languages by reading books in her father's library. The family lived in an uneasy peace until a strange woman moved to the village. No one knew her name, and she locked herself in her house, paying street urchins to fetch food for her from the market. Everyone suspected that she was a witch, and in that time, this was a crime punishable by death. Much to her parent's dismay, this young girl befriended the witch, and spent most of her time in her house. When the brother returned home, the parents begged him to restrain his sister.

'Our whole house will come to ruin if you do not stop her,' the mother pleaded of her son. And because he was so reliable and good-hearted, the son agreed. So, he set out to the witch's house, brave in his conviction. When he arrived, he pounded on the door, demanding that the witch release his sister immediately. Now, he had been educated in the city, and he did not truly believe in witches, but he also did not have much faith in his sister. He heard no sounds from within and after several moments, he broke open the door. When he arrived, he saw that the small hut was deserted. In the middle of the floor was a large chalk circle. Slowly he walked forward," the man paused dramatically, and the music intensified, "inching ever closer to the circle. He moved as if in a trance. Against everything that he had been taught, he stepped inside the circle." There was another strum of chords. "And disappeared."

My heart was pounding.

"This is the story of how the Kojin and the Lady first appeared on our world." The room erupted in applause, and the man acknowledged it with a graceful chord. I hoped that he would continue with their story, but he moved onto other things, and I turned back to Mamoru.

"Did you know that?"

He shook his head. "I never heard that story before."

---------------------

Several days later, we rode in listless silence along a deserted, mud-slick road. My brown cloak was supposed to protect me from the relentless rain, but it had been soaked through since yesterday, and I only had the beginnings of a cold to accompany my misery. Mamoru was hardly faring any better, but he had stopped complaining about it.

The road ahead of us seemed to stretch into forever, and I wondered when we would reach the Setsuna hills and find the Lady. Too many villages we had passed recently were flying a bolt of yellow cloth--the traditional color used to quarantine plague houses was now being used to indicate submission to the Kojin. In the rain we had passed fields of freshly dug mass graves, and their bubbling stench made us hurry by. The villagers, I supposed, barely had the energy themselves to bury their dead in deeper graves.

But while the gloom of the rain and the reminders of destruction around us seemed to make Mamoru sink further into himself, it made me irritable.

"How far are we from any town?" I asked, trying not to sneeze on his back.

Mamoru shrugged. "In this weather? We may make it to a small village by nightfall. It's a guess as to whether or not we can find an inn there, though."

"Or whether or not they'll be friendly to the Kojin," I said.

Mamoru didn't acknowledge me, but stopped abruptly and glanced around us, his body tense. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword. I tried to see what had worried him, but couldn't see anything past the mud and the rain.

"Mamoru, what is it?"

He relaxed gradually and picked up the reins. "Bandits. These roads are notorious for them, and these conditions are ideal for an attack."

I shivered. "Mamoru, you're going to be careful, right? You won't do anything stupid just to protect me, right?"

"I'll do what I have to, Serena."

I clenched my hands but didn't say anything. Lately, Mamoru had been so determined to protect me that sometimes he seemed too willing to sacrifice himself. I had found myself lying awake at night, listening to the sound of his breathing, grateful just to hear him alive. It drove me crazy that he didn't seem to consider his own safety.

Suddenly Mamoru reined in the horse and whirled it around, transferring the reins to one hand and unsheathing his long sword in the same motion. I don't know how he sensed the attack. The rain had made it practically impossible to hear anything and I couldn't see further than four feet in front of me. Nevertheless, their blades met with a shower of sparks and then a series of moves so fast I couldn't follow them. After a wild swipe of his attacker's sword came perilously close to my ear, Mamoru shoved me roughly from the horse. I landed on my butt in the mud, far away from where he was taking the fight. I sat there, frozen and terrified as I watched the two attack each other relentlessly. After some of my fear subsided, I began to understand how much better Mamoru was than his assailant. If anything, I saw, he was searching for a way to disarm the man without killing him. As far as I could tell, his attacker was just a common bandit--neither his sword nor his horse marked him as anything else. That, at least, was a relief.

Then, abruptly, Mamoru knocked the other man's sword to the ground and rested his sword on the bandit's throat. The man stared at Mamoru, clutching at his left arm.

"Leave your sword. Get out of here. I'll kill you if you try this again."

The man nodded once and then turned his horse around and galloped in the other direction. Mamoru stared down the road even after the rain had swallowed the man's retreating figure. Then, shaking his head, he sheathed his sword and rode back over to where I was sitting in the mud. He dismounted and offered his hand. After a moment, I accepted it and stood up.

"Are you all right?" I asked, trying to stop my heart from pounding.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I pushed you from the horse. It was too dangerous for you up there."

I found myself staring at him, trying to memorize his features. There was too much violence surrounding us; he might be taken from me any moment. I wanted to yell at him, anything to relieve my pounding tension, but all I could do was grip his hand and nod. Mamoru stared at me, but did not say anything as he led me back to the horse. When he tried to mount it however, it shied away from him, limping slightly.

"Oh God," Mamoru said, his voice having finally regained a hint of color. "The damn thing threw a shoe." He knelt in the mud next to the horse and lifted its left front leg. "She's gone lame," he said and put the hoof down. "We can't ride her until we can get to a blacksmith."

"We have to walk in this rain?" To my dismay, I realized that I was near tears.

"Listen, dumpling head, we hardly have a choice. I don't like it anymore than you do."

"Oh, shut up Mamo-chan! This would never have happened if you hadn't decided to be so noble and fight in the rain."

"What, would you have had me let him rob us?"

I tried to search for a retort, but I knew that he was right so I stayed silent.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, are you coming or do you want me to carry you?"

Muttering to myself, I hiked up my kimono and walked next to him, wishing that I had sturdier shoes than these sandals. We walked for hours in that numbing rain, and it seemed to drill even my thoughts from my head. After I tripped in a deep rut that sent me sprawling in the mud, I gave up any small effort I had made to keep clean. I knew that Mamoru felt just as awful as I when he failed to make any comment on my clumsiness. He helped me up silently and we continued. What I wouldn't give for a bath, I thought as I sneezed once again. We struggled gamely onwards, but as the hours passed I realized that we would never reach the village by nightfall.

I finally decided to venture a question, despite Mamoru's closed, brooding countenance. "Where are we going to stay tonight?"  
He shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully we will find something that doesn't double as a bandit hang out."

I wanted nothing more, I decided, than to lie down and pass out. The mud was even starting to look cozy. Mamoru must have noted my exhaustion, because he nudged me gently.

"Serena, just a little farther. We can't stop here, we're too exposed. I'm sure there's a place further up."

I didn't even have enough energy to roll my eyes. After perhaps another hour when the sun was getting dangerously close to the horizon, the faint outline of a house appeared in the distance. With wordless communication, we used the last of our energy to get there quickly, neither of us particularly caring where 'there' was. We were relieved when the abandoned barn looked sturdy enough on the outside.

"This place looks new," I said as we entered. No animals other than the odd mouse or owl resided there, although I could still detect the faint odor of manure. The straw, as well, did not look wet or musty like old straw tended to become. The roof was still relatively leak-free.

"Why would anyone abandon a good barn like this?" Mamoru asked.

I could think of a few reasons, but I didn't think either of us wanted to hear them that night. Mamoru tied the horse in one of the stables with some hay to eat, and then climbed up to the loft with me. I was about to divest myself of my mud-clogged garments when Mamoru stopped me.

"It's getting colder at night," he said, his voice tight with strain, "it would be a better idea to keep them on."

I acknowledged his advice by removing my hands from my obi and collapsing in the hay next to him.

"You're right," I muttered, coughing a little, "I am cold." I tried to bury myself in the hay, but I was a little too afraid of what I would encounter if I disturbed its home. He put his arm around me and, after registering the touch and the warmth that flowed through my body, I fell asleep.

---------------------

I was running away from someone, although I did not know who. All I knew was that if they caught me, my entire world would end. I could hear their footsteps growing louder, even as I struggled to stay ahead. I felt their panting, slobbering breath on my neck, and cold permanently lodged itself in my bones. I tripped over something I couldn't see, and picked myself up again without thinking. I had to get to him before they did. I had to get to him. If I didn't reach him soon I knew what would happen, and the thought made me run, if possible, even faster. My breath rasped in my throat and my eyes stung with grit and tears. I would reach him, I _would_...or else...

And then I saw him. His face was smiling in the moonlight but his eyes were closed and a deep stain the unmistakable color of red wine covered his entire midsection.

"Mamoru!" I flung myself upon his body. "No...please! You can't be dead...no, Mamoru..."

---------------------

"Mamoru...please don't be dead!" I whimpered again into the chest I was being gently held against. Gradually I came to myself, and realized that my moments of blind terror and grief had only been the product of a nightmare. Even so, I felt myself sobbing into his chest, the residual fears of the dream still deep within me. I gripped him, trying to reassure myself that he wasn't dead.

"Shh, Serena," he whispered as he rocked me back and forth. "I'm all right, I'm all right, I promise." My tears gradually subsided as he stroked my hair. Part of me felt ashamed for acting so helpless, but I was far too exhausted to really care.

I fell asleep in his arms.

---------------------

Three days before we made it to the forest, I saw Ushiro. After Mamoru had taken the horse to the blacksmith, we took the opportunity to avail ourselves of the local bathhouse. I cannot describe my utter joy when I descended into the water of a local hot spring. Over the past two weeks, I had only been able to use the barest of resources to keep myself clean.

Finally, I thought as I scrubbed my hair thoroughly for the fifth time, I would no longer smell like musty hay. On the other side of the wall between the men's and women's baths, Mamoru was similarly enjoying himself.

After I had scrubbed every inch of my skin until it glowed pink, I lay in the water, perfectly content to let my entire body prune. Eventually I realized that Mamoru must be waiting for me, and grudgingly ended my hour of bliss. Towels were a luxury that we could not afford, so I was forced to air dry a little before I could replace my kimono. I braided my hair in the long mirror that hung in the changing room, sharing it with the other women who were also fixing their hair. Feeling satisfied and refreshed, I exited the building, and smiled brilliantly at Mamoru. If they had watches in this world, he would have been looking at his wrist. As it was, he leaned against the side of the building with an expression of long-suffering patience.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Taking a bath," I said.

"It does not take that long to take a bath!"

"It does when you smell like a horses behind! I don't know about you, but I like to be clean, thank you."

He just raised his eyebrows. "I have to go pick up some more supplies. Can you get the horse and meet me at the eastern edge?"

I looked at him nervously, and then nodded. We hadn't really been out of each other's presence since he found me in the dungeon. And now, for whatever reason, he was entrusting me with an extremely important job. Maybe he figured that even with my lousy sense of direction, I could probably manage a short walk down the street. And shouldn't I be glad that he was truly regarding me as his partner? I had said that I was sick of him coddling me, after all.

"Sure, don't worry about it," I said as nonchalantly as I could.

He smiled, as if he suspected what I was thinking. "Here's the money to pay him. Remember not to accept his first price...the offer is merely a formality. You can start bargaining after he names the second price."

I nodded again, and before I could think better of it, turned down the road. I waved over my shoulder to Mamoru, who watched me walk off with an amused smile. After a few people blocked my view of him, I turned forward. It really couldn't be that hard, I reasoned. We had no reason to expect any danger in this village. Cities in this region were still independent of the Kojin. No matter what I told myself, though, I knew I would feel much better once we were on our way again.

Soon enough I saw the modest wooden sign that hung above the blacksmith's work area, indicating his profession in characters I couldn't read. Tentatively, I walked through the gate and entered the open stable where he worked. Our horse was penned in the nearest stall, moving restlessly. The blacksmith was near the fire working the bellows with one of his apprentices when I came in, but he looked up and smiled as soon as he noticed me.

"I fixed the problem easily. In fact, I can hardly expect any payment from you for such a simple task."

Hoping that I would prove a decent improviser, I protested. "Why, kind sir, to take advantage of your skill with so little recompense would be dishonorable of me. Please allow me to give you some token of my esteem."

He bowed in acknowledgment of the compliment. "If you insist, perhaps I can be persuaded to accept something..." he named a figure that was, in fact, rather less than what I held in my purse. Deciding not to try my luck with bargaining, I reached into the purse to hand him the coins. The blacksmith had stopped looking at me, however, distracted by a commotion in the street in front of his gate. My stomach immediately sank to my shoes, and I knew before I turned around that I was in serious trouble.

A quick glance over my shoulder revealed the unmistakable figure of Ushiro about to walk through the blacksmith's gate, with two other men joking loudly behind him. Beneath the blubbering panic of my conscious mind, the other, more sensible part of my brain went into autopilot. I made a flying leap over the nearest stall door and cowered behind our horse. She snorted a little at the intrusion, but she was used to me and didn't make a big fuss. My heart was pounding furiously and the blood flowed past my ears in a booming rush. My breathing sounded like a tornado, but I knew that Ushiro and those two other men could not possibly hear it. At first I wondered if the blacksmith had even seen me scale door, but then I realized that he was using himself to discreetly block this stall from Ushiro's line of sight.

For a few panicked moments I wondered if Ushiro knew that we were here, if he would catch us this close to our destination. Maybe they had already captured Mamoru and--under torture, of course--he had told them where I was. But, despite my fears, it appeared that Ushiro had come to the blacksmith for the same reason we did: his horse had lost a shoe. He went through the formalities of paying the man perfunctorily, as if eager to get on his way. I noticed that he moved his neck as little as possible, and when the high collar of his Northern-style shirt shifted, I saw the reason why: a jagged scar, still slightly red, ran across his neck. I gasped, but a well-placed snort of our horse made it inaudible. I couldn't believe that I had done that, especially by accident. The sight terrified me, because I knew that even without the edict of the Kojin, Ushiro had a personal reason to want us dead. I waited in agony as one of the apprentices was sent to fetch the horse; everything seemed to be taking years instead of minutes. Eventually, though, Ushiro had his mount and turned to leave. I thought I would pass out when he paused and turned around again. For a moment he seemed to glance directly at me, but I couldn't be sure.

"Sir," he said, "have you seen a young man, about this tall with black hair accompanied by a young blonde girl who resembles the princess?"

So this was it, then. The blacksmith would open the stall gates, everything would be revealed, and I would die in his backwater town, on another world without even having seen Mamoru again.

But instead of revealing my location, the blacksmith shook his head. "No, sorry sir. No one like that has passed my way."

Ushiro gave him a hard glance, and then nodded.

"Are there any inns with good food around here?"

"You might try Daruma; go a little further down this street. It's on the left."

Ushiro thanked the man and then left. I felt light-headed. If our horse hadn't thrown a shoe, Mamoru and I would have stayed at that inn last night. Satisfied that Ushiro had left, I eased around the horse, and climbed back over the stall door. The apprentice stared at me, but didn't say anything.

"Why...why did you--" I said, but the blacksmith shushed me.

"Don't say anything out of the ordinary," he said under his breath and then switched to a normal voice. "I hope you found the horse satisfactory?"

After a moment of confusion I nodded. "O-of course, sir," I said, unable to keep the nervous stutter from my voice. "Here," I said, and handed him the rest of the money with shaking hands. "Please take this as an indication of my...extreme gratitude. Mina you live long and prosper." That last had probably been overkill, but he appeared impressed.

"Why thank you, my lady." He looked at me again. "If you follow the alley behind this shop you can exit the city much faster."

I wondered why he was helping me but I smiled in gratitude. "Thank you so much, for everything."

He took our horse from the stall himself and led it to the door for me. "We have heard of your quest, up here," he whispered. "By calling you two traitors, the Kojin has given us hope that he will perhaps fall one day." He helped me up on the horse and then handed me the reins.

"Good luck."

Nodding with newfound determination, I urged the horse out onto the street and into the alley behind the shop. As soon as I was away from the sight of the townsfolk, I put my legs astride the horse. Over the weeks I had gleaned a decent amount of horsemanship from Mamoru, which I hoped would help me now. Glancing over my shoulder, I heeled the horse into a gallop and fled.

After I made it to the edge of the village, I looked around frantically for Mamoru, who did not appear to be anywhere. For a panicked moment I wondered if I had gone west instead of east until I saw him walking towards me.

"We've got to get out of here!" I said, my rush of adrenaline giving away to fear. Taking me at my word, he climbed on in front and spurred the horse into the Setsuna hills.

---------------------

After we were relatively sure that no one was following us from the village and the path grew too steep for our horse to carry two people, we dismounted and walked.

"I should have gone with you," Mamoru said after I had told him my story.

I looked at him indignantly. "I'm not helpless, Mamoru. Your presence wouldn't have helped anything. In fact, the only reason I could hide was because I was alone."

"I know, I know," he said, running his hand through his hair. "I just...you have no idea how much it scares me that you came that close to getting captured, and I wouldn't have even known."

I sighed. "All right, I suppose you have a po--"

His preemptory gesture cut me off. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Mamoru shook his head. "I thought I heard something...a twig breaking. It sounded suspicious."

"It's probably just your imagination," I said, not feeling quite so reassured myself. "We're both on edge..."

He smiled at me. "I suppose you're right. Let's go, then."

---------------------

We found a campsite by sunset. Mamoru and I unloaded together with the efficiency borne of long travel and then sat around the small fire, each absorbed in our own thoughts.

"So...what do you suppose we're looking for?" I asked, still staring into the fire.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Some sort of house, I guess..."

"With no windows, no doors and a star in the middle? What kind of a house is that?"

"Maybe we'll know when we see it," he said.

"What if it's hidden? I'm afraid that we've come all this way...even if Ushiro doesn't find us, what if we can't find the Lady?"

He looked at me from across the fire, and his smoldering eyes knocked the breath out of my body. "I know, Serena. Believe me, I know."

---------------------

The next day as we walked through the forest Mamoru acted particularly edgy. I didn't pay much attention though, since some parts of the terrain seemed more like a billy goat trail than anything meant for humans or horses. But eventually even I noticed that he was starting at every bunny that crossed our path.

"What's wrong with you?" I panted, wishing passionately for some jeans and a tee shirt.

A bird chirped and he jumped again. "I don't know," he muttered. "I just have a bad feeling about this..."

"Do you think someone is following us?"

He looked around again. "Maybe. I'm not sure. I keep getting the strangest feeling..."

I looked at him nervously, and when a squirrel ran in our path, I almost jumped on him. "Mamoru, you're making me nervous."

"Sorry," he said, not sounding very apologetic at all. Over the next couple hours, I caught his tense mood, try though I did to counteract it. It's just because we're so close to our goal that I'm this nervous, I reasoned. Still, something did seem out of place. Eventually, much to my relief, the ground leveled out again, and we were able to remount. After perhaps an hour, Mamoru stilled the horse.

"There are people waiting for us in that clearing," he said softly, pointing to an area about six or seven yards in front of us. My breath caught in my throat. I wondered how he could be so sure, but sometimes it seemed that Mamoru had an uncanny ability to know things without the use of his five senses.

"There are five...no, six...on horseback. Serena, get off the horse how, and run away. Hide in the trees. If I don't make it, try to solve the riddle. I'm sure the Lady will help you."

"Mamoru," I whispered violently, my eyes stinging with tears, "I refuse to let you kill yourself! Why don't we just turn around?"  
"They know where we are. They'll just chase after us and cut us down. If at least you get away..."

I hated him at that moment, hated him for being right, and for his self-assurance. He was going to die fighting those men, I knew. And he was willing to do it, just to save me. He saw the acceptance in my eyes and smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Serena. I won't lie to you--I have enjoyed myself immensely in your presence. I...well..." he looked as if he was struggling to say something, and then gave up. "Goodbye," he said finally. Unlike English, this language had several ways to say goodbye. Mamoru had used the special kind, reserved for permanent farewells. Turning my head so he wouldn't see my tears, I slid off the horse. He said something to me then, but I couldn't make out the words, and before I could ask, he had already turned, riding with a shout and an upraised sword into the clearing.

I heard the clash of steel on steel and shivered.

---------------------

I stood frozen among the trees for a moment, but when I heard a scream my feet started sprinting towards the clearing even before I grew aware of them. As soon as I drew near I saw that the scream had come from one of Mamoru's opponents, who was clutching his arm. Still hidden behind a row of trees, I couldn't see very well so I grabbed some nearby branches and hauled myself up. I moved near the top where I had a clearer view of the action.

Five men who were masked and dressed entirely in black surrounded Mamoru. That they were expert swordsmen was obvious from the first. I admit that I experienced a moment of unchecked pride at how well Mamoru defended himself against them. Unfortunately, even the most brilliant swordsman could not stand up against five trained warriors intent upon his life. I almost screamed aloud when a particularly powerful sword thrust made its way through Mamoru's defenses. It was headed towards his neck, and he managed to deflect it to his shoulder, but I saw his wince and knew that it had hurt him. I was too far away to tell how badly. I watched, but my mind was whirring with possibilities of how to save him. Of course I had never had any intention of following his instructions. He had truly underestimated me if he thought that I would run to save my skin while he got himself killed. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I could do to stop this from happening, and I did not have much time to decide.

As I stared at the battle raging before me, I realized something that I should have noticed from the very first: Mamoru was only fighting five men when he had said there were six. Meaning that one was...I saw a shape move almost directly below me. His dark clothes blended so well with the shadows of the forest that I only knew he was there from the glint of his sword. He was going to attack Mamoru from behind. I only had seconds to decide what to do.

Just as the man was about to attack, I let out a blood-curdling scream and jumped from the tree. I landed on his head, rolling quickly to avoid his exposed sword. I made sure that he was indeed incapacitated before I looked up...and saw something that made me want to scream again.

They had him surrounded. Mamoru was hunched in his saddle, his arm holding his midsection. Even now I could not tell how bad the wound was, but his face was scrunched with pain. One man's sword was at his neck. And then I got angry. Very angry. Much angrier than I ever had been on this entire crazy adventure, and perhaps my entire life.

"Like hell I'm going to let you kill him!" I screamed. For a crucial moment, all eyes turned to me. I felt clear headed and invincible. There was no way I would let us loose. So, I reached into my obi and pulled out the Barbie doll. I was still unsure of how to use it, but I was not going to show any uncertainty in front of them. Closing my eyes, I drew the strange power that I had felt a handful of times on our journey and channeled it into the doll.

"Petunia," I said loudly, "I think that I need some help."

---------------------

The doll_winked_ at me and then jumped out of my hands. Swirls of magic surrounded it as it grew bigger and bigger, slowly transforming itself into a familiar shape. The smell of honeysuckle was heavy in my nostrils. The doll emitted an unbearably bright light, and I was forced to shield my eyes. When I opened them again I saw Petunia, dressed in typical piecemeal fashion, standing in front of me. A quick look around the clearing revealed that all the attackers were dead, and Mamoru was staring at Petunia with as much fascination as I.

"Hi Serena, Mamoru," she said cheerfully. "I was wondering when you would call me. I'd have thought you'd get in some trouble before this. I'm really rather impressed with you both." She looked at Mamoru appraisingly. "You certainly waited until the last possible moment, didn't you?"

"You came...the Lady came..." Mamoru said, and I looked at him with growing fear. How badly had he hurt himself? Then I realized what he had said.

"_You're_ the Lady!" I shrieked at Petunia, the stresses of the past hour crashing upon me. "I can't believe this! Do you know how much_crap_ we have gone through trying to find you? Oh, if only I had known that this famous "Lady" of theirs was just my crazy neighbor!" I was pacing back and forth, gesticulating wildly.

"I'll explain later," she said, walking to Mamoru. She caught him as he slid off the horse, and laid him on the ground. That was when I finally came close enough to see his wound. A strange sound came from my mouth, like the squawk of a strangled bird. His entire midsection had been cut open, and the blood was already seeping into the mossy ground. Petunia ignored me, gently probing his wound. He grunted with pain, but his stormy blue eyes met mine and locked there. I could not move, could not believe that after all of this, Petunia had come too late.

"Mamoru," I whispered, and I realized that there were tears streaming down my cheeks. I dashed them away angrily. What was I thinking? Petunia was here, and she would save him. He wasn't...he couldn't be...

"Dying," said Petunia, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's dying."

END BOOK FOUR

_Further Author's Notes: As you can see, this ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, and you know what the coin of the realm is? Comments! I'm actually feeling a little depressed about this other story I'm working on now, and it'd be nice to have a reminder that some people like my stuff ;) _


	7. Why I Changed My Mind

Author's Notes: So, sorry that I didn't finish posting this several months ago. Events overwhelmed me and I forgot about it. So, without further ado, I'll probably just put up each next chapter for the next few days until it's finished. Note that if there are typos in people's names, that's because a few years ago I thought I might submit this story as a real novel to publishers, and to that end I changed the Sailor Moon names. I've tried to change them all back for posting the revised version, but obviously find/replace is only so functional. I know that there are some places where Mina's name is May, there might be others. Sorry about that! Just pretend :)

* * *

**Book Five: Why I Changed My Mind**

She hadn't said that. Of course I had simply misheard her. He was hurt of course, but he couldn't be dying. Mamoru didn't die, he did infuriating things, but he was too...competent to die. He kissed me. People who kiss me don't die.

I felt dirt and water seep through my kimono. When had I knelt down? I knew I must be crying, because I could hardly see, but I couldn't feel anything.

"Serena!" Petunia shouted, forcefully lifting my shaking body from the ground. "Snap out of it! Do you want to save him or not?"

"S-save him?" I said.

"If we hurry, there's still a chance."

"But you said..."

"I know. He is. I can't use much magic, but...I'll use some. He may pull through."

I was an automaton. I stumbled over to his body, and dimly registered that he had passed out. Petunia knelt by him and signaled for me to do so as well.

"Call the power, Serena. We can't move him without it," Petunia said, and I stared at her blankly. "You've used it before," she said. "Remember how you got here the first time?"

I nodded.

"We have to enter the trance together. Only I know where this place is." I didn't quite understand her, but I was determined to do anything to save Mamoru. The trance came easily, and I immediately understood what I was supposed to do. I just acted as an extra conduit to her power. I had a brief sensation of chocolate and honeysuckle before we moved into limbo area. We stayed there for far longer than I had before, though, and I sensed it was because Petunia was at once struggling to keep Mamoru alive and move us somewhere. When we arrived, I opened my eyes, half expecting to see twenty-first century America. Instead, she had taken us to a small cottage in a clearing surrounded by apple trees.

Petunia and I carried Mamoru inside as gently as possible. My hands grew slick with his blood almost immediately, but they were rock steady as I carried him. The cabin had a western interior, with European-style beds and a small fireplace and kitchen on one side. We laid him on the bed nearest to the door, and I stared at my hands. I did not want to look back at the gruesome trail we had left. How could this be happening? I began to shiver. Petunia, who had begun ripping off his clothes, shouted to me again.

"Come help me with this!" she said. I moved forward, grateful for another task to stave off a breakdown. We were careful around his wound, but it was large and his clothes had already begun to stick. Without the black shirt, its extent was even more apparent, and I could hardly look.

"Here," Petunia said, handing me a bucket from under the bed. "Fetch some water. There's a pump on the side of the house."

I nodded and ran, making each footfall, each breath a prayer for his safety. I pumped the water and sprinted back, half afraid that he had died in my absence. Petunia's frown of concentration told me that he hadn't. She dipped a cloth into the bucket and gently began cleaning the wound, muttering at odd intervals. I assumed that she was performing mild magic, because I could still smell honeysuckle.

"Whatever blade struck him was enchanted. Magic in the system acts like a poison...and this wound is already serious."

"So...you're saying--"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's harder, because you can't use magic to cure magic fever. I couldn't use that much magic, anyway. It would make this place detectable."

"What can you do?"

She sighed. "I can stop a great deal of the bleeding by holding the wound together magically...like stitches. There are a few salves I keep around here made with rare healing herbs. It may help...I don't know."

His breathing was shallow and even now his face was twisted with pain, but at least he was still alive. And I would do anything, I realized, literally anything, to keep him that way. Petunia walked over to a chest in front of the beds and drew out several unlabeled glass jars.

"There's some linen in that closet," she said over her shoulder. "Can you rip it up into bandages?"

I nodded and tried to avoid tripping over my feet as I ran to the closet. I was still shaking, which made it difficult to tear the cloth into neat strips. The ones I handed to Petunia were uneven, but they worked. At first as she quickly wrapped the white cloth around his midsection, he groaned slightly, but then he fell silent and I could feel him slipping further away. I would have thought he had died after all, save for the shallow movement of his chest.

"Serena," Petunia said in a low, urgent voice. "Hold his hand, do something. He's going..."

I wanted nothing more than to sink to the floor, weeping. Instead, I knelt beside the bed, noted that the bed sheets were soaked in his blood and that even as Petunia wrapped the bandages more blood was soaking through. I noted it, but refused to give into the blind panic that it caused. And so, unsure of what else to do, I held his hand. It was limp and cold but I gripped it desperately, and stared into his slack face.

"Mamoru," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Please, hold on. Just make it through this...please." I barely noticed when Petunia finished bandaging him. When I looked up I saw that she had done the same for his shoulder as well.

"Serena, honey" I heard her say, as though she had been calling me for a while. "I must do what I can to clean this aura of magic...I'll come back."

I turned around, alarmed. What if he grew worse and I didn't know what to do? The space where she had been was empty, however. Turning back, feeling more helpless than ever, I took his hand again.

"If you think about it," I said, my tears dripping down my face and onto the bed. "you said that you had...enjoyed my company. I...I know that you'll miss calling me Lady Dumpling Head. And...Mamo-chan," my laugh was indistinguishable from a sob. "You always hated that name, didn't you? I thought it was cute. Maybe that's why you didn't like it. We went through all of this together, Mamoru. Everything...and you protected me, like you promised. Even when I didn't want to be protected. So...so please stay. Please stay..."

And everything broke. I knelt beside him and buried my head in the crook of his arm and cried. And just before exhaustion claimed me, I remembered our kiss, and my lips burned.

* * *

I awoke in the same position, feeling sunlight baking my back. My legs had fallen asleep and my face was sticky with tears. For a moment of bliss I had forgotten the events of the night before. But when I sat up, slowly, everything came crashing upon me. With a noise that was not so much a gasp as a sudden release of air, I stared at him, afraid that he had died while I slept. But no, he was still breathing. I prayed that he was better, that our efforts the night before had saved him. And as I stared, his eyes slowly opened. I saw him accept his surroundings quietly and then look at me. My heart was pounding, my lungs seemed incapable of taking a full breath. He smiled, and that simple action made me feel like running every way at once. I stayed where I was, paradoxically unable to move.

"Dumpling head," he said softly, and the dam broke all over again. I didn't care about anything anymore, now that he was safe. I sobbed next to him, and I felt his arm rest gently on my shoulders, as if to comfort me. It only made me cry harder, but this time half the tears were for joy.

The other half was for myself. Last night I had acknowledged something that had been true for a very long time. Perhaps since the first time I met him. I was desperately, wholeheartedly and riotously in love with the self-professed cocky bastard, Chiba Mamoru. It was, I knew, just about the dumbest thing I had ever done in a life replete with stupidities.

But at least for now, I could be content.

* * *

Petunia came in moments later, as though she had been waiting outside the door. She gave us a broad smile and the kind of unsubtle wink that reminded me of the Petunia I had met back in Georgetown. Her tense and competent demeanor of the night before had been like a completely different person. It also gave me the final assurance that Mamoru was truly safe. Petunia removed a small jar from the chest by the beds and put a small spoonful of its contents into a glass of water and stirred it thoroughly. She then walked over to Mamoru and gently pushed me out of the way. I let go of his hand reluctantly, half afraid that if I did so, he would disappear.

"Here," she said, holding the cup to his lips, "I know it tastes awful, but you need to sleep. It will help with the pain." He drank the contents with only a slight frown of distaste. I felt terrible for not realizing how much pain he must be in; I had been too relieved by his miraculous recovery. He fell asleep again almost immediately, and in sleep his face lost that pinched expression and regained some color. I stared at him, taking infinite pleasure from the mere contemplation of his features.

"Serena," Petunia said, "we need to talk."

I grunted an affirmative.

"Now, I believe, would be a good time." She grabbed my elbow and dragged me outside. I was annoyed, but before I could really work up a good pout, the beauty of my surroundings overcame me. It appeared that wherever she had taken us it was summer, because the apple trees were in full bloom and the leaves were deep green. The temperature was perfect. We sat on the small wooden porch of her cottage, and I turned to her.

"You have a great number of things to explain," I said.

She nodded. "And more than you expect, I imagine."

I raised my eyebrows, my sense of ease slowly flowing away. I felt as though I would need my wits about me during this exchange. "Perhaps we should start with you being the Lady. If you can solve these people's problems, why haven't you come down here already and fixed them? Don't tell me that you didn't know what was going on?"

She sighed, and shook her head. "Herman...he really has gone of the deep end this time, hasn't he? I always thought he was a little unbalanced, but this latent adolescence of his..."

"Herman? Whose Herman?"

She widened her violet eyes. "You don't know? He's the Kojin, of course. The people here can't pronounce Herman, and Kojin always did sound more forbidding. Herman always had that character flaw. He wanted people to fear him."

"Herman. You're telling me that the Kojin's name is _Herman_?" Suddenly, I had a vision of a short, rotund man with male-pattern baldness. He no longer seemed nearly so threatening. Despite myself I started to giggle, as much with the aftereffects of extreme shock as humor.

She smiled. "Herman Liverwell, to be precise. Well, Petunia isn't exactly the most forbidding name, either. Perhaps our parents didn't realize that we were destined to become major world figures...just in another world."

I stared at her again. "Your parents? You mean you really are brother and sister?"

"Well, we can't all be proud of our relations, now can we?" She shrugged philosophically. "We never liked each other much, and he always had an unhealthy obsession with power, but I would never have guessed him capable of something like this."

"So why don't you stop him?"

"He's my brother."

"He's killing thousands of people! This entire land lives in fear of the Kojin!"

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that, my dear! Of course I _would_ stop him if I _could_, it's just that I _can't_, that's all."

"The great Lady can't stop him? Why not?"

She gave me an impatient glance. "Our magic is too similar, and we have lived far too long. He knows the exact imprint of my magic and I know his. We are completely invulnerable to each other. The entire essence of magic attacks is surprise, you see. If you know exactly what someone is going to do before they do it, they've lost the battle before you start." She paused. "So I'm very afraid of the fact that he has given you two such a hard time."

"Why?"

"He knows that I can't hurt him. If he thought that your quest was simply to come and fetch me, he ought to have handed you flowers and given you a good luck party, for all the harm you would have caused him. But, he didn't. He sent men after you, dogged your footsteps, and almost killed Mamoru. And that means that he knows something I prayed he wouldn't figure out, and I don't know how he knows it."

"Knows what?"

"That you are indeed dangerous to him. And finding me would only render you more so, Serena."

"How...am I dangerous?" I asked slowly, now afraid that I did follow her, only too well.

She stared at me frankly. "Because you can use magic. You, and I and Herman are the only three, as far as I know, in this entire world."

* * *

Which explained a great deal, after all.

Petunia left to check on Mamoru, and I sat staring at the apple trees. In the back of my mind I had always thought that the Lady could solve our problems. Now, it seemed, things were going to be far more complicated

"Serena," she called from inside. "Can you give me a hand here? I want to change the sheets." Reluctantly, I stood up. When I entered, I saw that she was trying to remove the bloody sheets from underneath Mamoru, who was still asleep. After a few minutes of tugging on the sticky sheets--it was remarkable how desensitized I had become to blood--we stopped, frustrated.

"Why don't we just move him to that bed," I said, pointing to the one closer to the fireplace, "and then change these sheets?" She agreed, and we proceeded to haul his not inconsiderable bulk to the other bed. He groaned in his drugged sleep, although we tried to be as gentle as possible. I thought I saw more blood soak through his bandages.

"I think this is the last time we move him," Petunia said slowly, seeing the same thing.

"Are you still holding his wound together?"

She nodded. "As much as I can. Too much magic will only hurt him."

The thought of him hurting this much scared me. I wanted to take it all away, but the only thing I could do for him now was help Petunia. I removed the bloody sheets while she prepared to change his bandage. It was already soaked through with his blood, although I supposed that he was losing far less than he had before.

"Beyond the apple trees in back there's a little stream," Petunia said, "why don't you take some soap and go wash the sheets? You look like you need a break." I was about to protest, but then realized that she was right. This state of constant panic was wearing on my already taut nerves.

Apparently when Petunia said soap, she was not referring to modern-day laundry detergent, but what looked to be homemade lye soap. I took the soap and sheets and made my way to the stream. It was a shallow, bubbling brook that almost seemed to giggle at my arrival. This is such an enchanted place, I thought, looking around. I wondered where exactly we were--we had traveled here like one would to another world, and yet this did not feel precisely different from Umeru.

Kneeling, I separated the sheets and dunked the bloodiest one into the water first. The sudden rush of water against worn stones sounded eerily like a sigh of distaste. I tried to ignore the fact that the stream ran red with Mamoru's blood for quite some time. I scrubbed furiously, somehow feeling that if I cleaned every trace of blood from the sheets, it would be like he had never hurt himself at all.

I glanced up, startled, when Petunia walked towards the stream and squatted next to me.

"He's going to be all right," she said, taking the other sheet and dunking it into the water.

"I know. I do. It's just...I don't know if I can see him like this...hurting..."

"You'll have to, you know. I can't stay here much longer. After I show you what to do, you'll have to take care of him until he recovers."

I turned to face her now. "You're leaving? Already? What about Mamoru?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Serena, but I have to go. While I can't directly fight Herman, I can certainly try to save as many people from him as I can. It will perhaps stave off complete disaster until you can find a way to defeat him."

"Until I...what are you talking about?" My hands were so still in the water that I felt a minnow tickling them.

She leaned back on her heels. "Well, perhaps this deserves an explanation. See, as I said before, you are the only other person besides Herman and myself who has magic in this world. As far as I can tell, only people from our world have any ability with it. So you're the only one who can stop him."

"But that's...that's--"

"Ridiculous?"

"It's completely insane! If Umeru's fate rests with me, then it's doomed."

"Serena, you are powerful. Even I'm not quite sure how powerful yet. If anyone has a chance against my brother, you do."

"But I don't know anything! I didn't even know that I could use magic until a few hours ago."

"It can't be helped, but I will teach you all I can. And there is another possibility..." she paused. "How much do you know of the Kojin and the Princess?"

"Just what Mamoru told me. Something about the Kojin going insane because the Princess rejected him."

"It's the common tale, but unfortunately that's only half the story. There is another, much larger, reason why Herman wants Minako, one that has nothing to do with physical desire. He wants her power."

"What power?"

"Minako...well, she has no power on her own, but in the hands of someone like my brother, she could be devastating. If he ever finds her, the whole planet might be infected with this plague, not just this country."

"I don't understand. I thought you said no one from this world is capable of magic."

"Well," she said, "they're not. Not in the classical sense, at least. Herman and I have long suspected that there is an indigenous power in Umeru, but we have had little information other than legends. There are tales of people, the Aranu and the Kanare, who have a special ability with a type of earth-power. The kind of magic you and I possess, Serena, relies entirely on our own energy. That's why it's so exhausting to cast a powerful spell. The Aranu are a kind of...amplifier. They have no innate ability, but they increase the power of the Kanare. Simply casting magic in their presence enhances its power, and using a willing Aranu is even more powerful. I imagine that before Herman and I came, the rare few who could use this kind of power were a benign force. The earth-magic of the Kanare is not very destructive--it uses the earth and it gives back. Once--oh, almost fifty years ago--I found a Kanare. I discovered her by accident; I happened to be riding past a village one day when I noticed several cherry blossoms budding nearly a month early. The Aranu were only meant to augment that kind of power, but Herman learned that they didn't always have to augment a Kanare, that they could, in fact, amplify one of us even more. Don't you understand, Serena? He realized that an Aranu could make him more powerful than anyone else alive."

I pulled the sheets on to the stream bank and stared at her. "So you mean...you mean the real reason he wants the princess is because she's an Aranu?"

Petunia nodded. "I wish I had realized it sooner. I should have known, I suppose, but Aranu are nearly impossible to detect. Even Herman discovered it by accident. I gather she stumbled upon him while he was casting a spell and her presence resonated with it."

"So he tried to find some way to get her," I said, "and when he couldn't, he tried to hold the whole population of Umeru hostage just to get her back...for what? What does all that power give him?"

She shook her head. "I don't think that's ever been the point with Herman. He just wants power, never mind what for. I imagine that he'll use it to take over this country. He's already started, after all. He might even have designs on this entire world."

"But," I said, "he'll never get her, right? You hid the Princess from him."

"There's only so long she can remain hidden, Serena. Even now he is banging relentlessly at my defenses, trying to find a hint. Mamoru has to have time to recover, of course, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"If she has so much power, why don't you let me use it? At least then I'd have a chance."

Petunia shook her head. "Serena...I've had a taste of it. I had to use it to make barriers strong enough to keep Herman out for even this long, but it's dangerous. Too dangerous for me to use and certainly too dangerous for you. It's too addictive to use safely."

"And Herman?"

"You must stop him before he can find the Princess."

"Stop him?" I whirled to face her. "How am I supposed to do that? What hope can you give me?"

"The seventh moon," she said. "You have a chance if you can harness the power of the seventh moon."

* * *

The rest of that day she taught me the names and function of every strange medicine in her chest. Mamoru needed fresh bandages every day for at least a week. In a strange way that was half instruction, half mutual concentration, I figured out how to hold his wound together, and keep the spell active in the back of my mind. This meant I had to live with the constant, faint smell of chocolate--my trace-scent, as it turned out, just like Petunia's honeysuckle and Herman's peppermint.

"I'll try to come back in two or three days," she said over dinner that night. Meals apparently appeared on the table at appropriate intervals, and vanished when finished. According to Petunia, she had befriended a band of gomi demons. You couldn't see them, and I wasn't too inclined to ask her where they bought their groceries. She warned me not to feed Mamoru any solid food until he seemed noticeably stronger, and she had told the demons precisely what to prepare him. Mamoru was still asleep, as he had been virtually all day.

"Petunia," I said, pushing the food around on my plate, "what did you mean by the seventh moon?"

"It's basically a legend. Or, at least, I had thought it was a legend until I discovered the Kanare girl. The power of the Aranu and Kanare is intimately tied with the cycles of the moons here. Two moons, no magic; no moon, high magic; full serpent moon, dark magic. The list goes on. The seventh moon is the dark moon, and according to the legends, it's the most powerful. Of course, no one in the past thousand years at least has managed to use it."

"Why not?"

Petunia leaned back in her chair. "As far as I can tell, the seventh moon acts differently on magic than the other six. The Kanare girl once told me that she always knew when the seventh moon was in ascension because she couldn't feel its pull. The other moons directly affected her power, she said. But the seventh moon...it's power might only be available to someone with the wherewithal and the drive affect _it_."

Petunia reached across the table and pulled the amulet out from underneath the neck of my kimono. She stared at it with an almost tender expression on her face, gently fingering the embossed circles.

"The six outer circles," she said after a few minutes, "those represent the six visible moons. The inner circle...the one without a picture inside, that's the seventh. I wish I knew why Mamoru's mother made this...why he thinks it's so important."

She released the amulet and I sat back in my chair. Her expression was lost, somehow.

"It took me a long time to accept the seventh moon's existence," she said, "but I suspect that Herman has been recording data about the moons for far longer, as long as a century ago. With the seventh moon's power, Serena, you could be invincible."

"If you and Herman both haven't managed to find out how over the past century, how can you expect me to?"

"Well, I'm afraid that Herman is far closer to unlocking its secrets than I. Herman keeps journals, he has since he was a child. Of course, he can't carry all of his old journals around with him, so he left some back in our world, sure that no one there would have any use for them. I'm almost sure that he has written what he knows in some of these journals. If we can see the information Herman has gathered, we may be able to understand it."

"Do you know where these journals are?"

She winced. "Well, vaguely," she said. "I am positive that he donated them to a library in DC"

I stared at her. "Why on earth would he do that?"

To my surprise, she blushed and stared at the floor. "Well...at the time, I was banned from every library in the city. He didn't want me getting to them."

"Banned...from a _library_? What did you do, burn the books?"

She laughed a little too nervously and waved her hand. "Oh, none of that matters now. The important thing is that you have to find his journals. Then you have a chance."

I snorted. "You mean that I may at least kill him as he kills me."

She looked at me seriously. "Perhaps. You can still back out of this, you know."

The metallic smell of Mamoru's blood still hung heavy in my nostrils and the stream had run red this morning. "I'm not backing out of anything," I said.

She smiled.

* * *

Petunia and I sat on the porch outside, sipping red wine. I looked at the apple trees, whose boughs were heavy and low to the ground with fruit.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"A little pocket of space I created for myself. The answer to the riddle."

"A house with no doors and a star in the middle? I don't understand."

She sighed. "Really? I thought I had made it too easy, actually. It's an apple, of course."

"An apple?"

"If you cut an apple open diagonally, it's seeds form a star."

I laughed. "I'm glad you came anyway. I would never have guessed that."

Petunia smiled and we continued to watch the fiery sun go down behind the trees. When it had nearly descended she put down her glass and stretched till her joints cracked.

"Well," she said, yawning, "I suppose we need to take the Witches Oath. It'll make things safer for the both of us, and you can call me if you're in any trouble."

"What's a Witches Oath?"

"The same kind of bond that Herman and I share involuntarily you and I can create with the oath. Magically, at least, we become sisters, with an intimate knowledge of each other's power."

My natural reaction was to be wary, but I saw the need for such a drastic step.

"What do we have to do?"

* * *

It was eerily dark outside by the time she finished the preparations, the only light given by the faint stars. Petunia had taken a knife wrapped in blue silk and a heavy earthenware bowl from the cottage and carried it outside to the middle of the clearing. I felt my skin tingle with the aura of magic. My heart pounded faster, as if it were pushing something other than blood throughout my body. She laid the bowl on the ground and removed the cloth from the knife. The honed, slightly curved blade glinted, and I swallowed. Her violet eyes met mine.

"Are you ready for this, Serena?"

"Yes," I said calmly, although I certainly didn't feel that way.

"We each cut one of our wrists, and let the blood drip into the bowl for a full minute, all the while drawing power. And when the minute is up, we join our wrists together. You must not speak or utter a single sound from the time I utter the invocation to the time I close the conduit."

I eyed the blade warily, but nodded. She knelt in front of the bowl and after a moment's hesitation I knelt opposite her.

"Ekianeru," she said, and with those words I felt a strange, trance like state of power settle upon me. Petunia reached for the knife and in one quick, violent motion, slit her left wrist. With the same hand, she handed me the blade. My left hand did not shake as I took the knife and ran it deeply across my right wrist. Perhaps I had not fully expected the sharp stinging, but I did not flinch or cry out. I held my dripping wrist over the bowl, trying to ignore the way my blood pulsed. I replaced the knife next to the bowl. True to her instructions, I drew power into myself. Unsure of how much I needed, I filled myself to capacity, sucking in magic even after I thought I would burst. After a minute that lasted far too long Petunia lifted her hand and I lifted mine. We locked eyes seconds before we locked wrists, and then I exploded.

This was pain. There was so much magic flowing between us that I could barely keep my mouth closed around it. I did, though. As I suffered, my magic touched her magic, and gradually, they accepted each other. I found myself learning everything about how she cast spells, what her least favorites were, what she was particularly proud of, when she had first used it, and I could feel her learning the same. And then it was over. The only physical indication I had was that the pain had stopped, but it went deeper than that. Petunia realized it too.

"Ekianeru," she said, in a voice far weaker, and we separated. I looked at my wrist, expecting to see a gaping wound, but instead I only saw long ridged scar. And although the bowl had been more than half full with our blood, none remained.

She left soon after that. Feeling exhausted, and realizing that the sheets for the other bed were still drying outside, I grabbed a spare blanket, and spread it out on the floor beside Mamoru's bed. Despite my uncomfortable position, I fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of the kitchen gomi putting breakfast on the table. It smelled like pancakes and I would have investigated further, but as I stood up I realized that I would have to take care of my appearance first. My kimono and obi were liberally splattered with blood and dirt.

Mamoru was still deep asleep, so I took another bar of soap from the cupboard and walked to the stream. The prospect of a bath filled me with delight. I divested myself of my bloody clothes and jumped in the stream. In the middle it was waist-high, and surprisingly warm. I paddled aimlessly in the water for a while, imagining that I was some sort of sea nymph, with my hair floating around me like a golden cloud. It had always been long, of course, but loose and wet my hair now came down to the middle of my thighs. As a child I had been under the impression that long hair would make me irresistible to guys. I had since been disabused of that notion, but my discovery still made me happy.

I swam a few laps up and down the stream and then took the soap from the embankment. After I was done with my body, I pulled my kimono into the stream with me and tried to gently scrub away the blood. I scrubbed longer than strictly necessary, suddenly nervous about facing Mamoru. After every trace of blood was gone I climbed out of the stream reluctantly. I squeezed the excess water from my hair before I put on the jiban, but despite my efforts, it clung wetly to my body. There was nothing else for me to wear, though, so I supposed Mamoru was just going to get an eyeful. Maybe he'll be asleep, I hoped as I draped the wet kimono, under kimono and obi over the porch railing.

His gaze arrested me in the doorway. I felt completely exposed, emotionally as well as physically. My saliva dried in my mouth, and my lips remained parted as if they had been painted with lacquer. Why was my heart pounding like this over a stupid look?

"I wondered where you went," he said in a weak voice, and I tried to keep myself from running away or breaking down on the floor. I couldn't stand it; seeing him like this was too painful. I forced myself past it. I was useless to him in such a state.

With a strained smile, I walked to the bed. My legs felt like they could barely support me. I was painfully aware of how my breasts clung to the wet shift.

"Just outside," I finally managed to say. I noted that the bandage needed changing again, and wondered how much blood loss he could handle.

"Where are we?" he asked, "What happened?"

I sighed and sat down next to him. "Life, Mamoru," I said, "is very, very strange. I cannot begin to understand it. But, I try, at any rate."

He raised his eyebrows a little, and I could have sung for joy. Oh, how I loved those eyebrows! I loved the way he made fun of me, I loved everything about him, especially because it meant that he would recover.

"Serena? Why are you smiling?"

I blushed and looked away. As a distraction, I told him everything that Petunia had related the night before.

"So, you mean that the Lady can't help us?" he said when I finished. I nodded nervously. "And she wants you to somehow use the seventh moon to fight the Kojin, because you have...magic?" he continued, and I nodded again. "I can't say that I didn't suspect something," he said after a moment.

"So, it's all right with you?" I asked.

This time he did meet my eyes, and gave me a lopsided smile. "We're partners in all this, remember? Of course I'll help you, once...once..." he looked away again. "I almost died, didn't I?" he said, finally.

It was all I could do to nod. "Petunia said you'll be much better in a month or so...it's all the time that she can really give us."

"Thank you," he said, "I wish that I hadn't put you through that." I looked away and stood up quickly, making my way to the kitchen to mix some of Petunia's herbs. Although he hadn't said anything, I knew that he was still in a great deal of pain. In the corner of my eye, I saw him grimace when he thought I wasn't looking. I deliberately blocked his view of my hands--I could not seem to stop them from shaking. Though I couldn't deny that I was in love with him, I was overwhelmed with my stupidity. I knew perfectly well that he didn't love me. Even that kiss was one incident in a sea of insults and contempt. After all, the first word out of his mouth after that night of hell had been honeybee. Hardly the gesture of a man in love.

I really shouldn't care, I thought as I furiously diced a little of the root that Petunia had told would help with his pain. I hated myself for loving him and I hated him for making me. So why was I crying? I felt his eyes on my back.

I diced even more furiously and the sharp knife missed the root entirely and sliced deeply into my finger. I cursed.

"Serena? Are you all--"

"No!" Immediately I regretted my words. After all, it wasn't his fault that I had fallen in love with him. It wouldn't be right to blame him under any circumstance, but especially not now.

"Well, aren't we moody today, Dumpling Head?"

I turned around slowly, aware of the stricken expression on my face but unable to do anything about it.

"I'm sorry...I'm just not used to this." What an understatement. His wide eyes made me feel like I was falling into a deep, inescapable well.

"You cut your hand," he said.

I looked at the offending finger curiously, as if it were not a part of my body. "The knife slipped, that's all," I said. A drop of blood fell to the floor and our gazes locked. The dark blue of his eyes seared mine, searching, and after a terrified moment I looked away. Unsure of what else to do, I finished preparing the root and gave him the draught silently. He said nothing, but I knew that he wanted to. Before he had the opportunity, I fled the cabin, mumbling something about my kimono.

My entire body tingled, but how I wished for simple numbness.

* * *

On the third day Petunia had still not returned, although I wished she would if only for the distraction. Mamoru consumed my thoughts, but not in the fashion you would expect from a girl in love. I was completely preoccupied with avoiding him. But as his strength returned, that became increasingly difficult.

That morning I planned to leave the cabin after breakfast, but something in Mamoru's direct gaze made me suspect it would be harder this time. As I headed for the door, his voice stopped me in mid-step, and I froze, rigid and almost trembling.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

I turned around slowly, trying to look casual and failing. "Avoiding you?" I said with a false smile. "Why would I do that?"

He probably would have crossed his arms, but the wound on his shoulder prevented that. Instead, he settled for a raised eyebrow. "I don't know," he said, "why don't you tell me?"

"Is it so improbable that a girl would not want to spend every waking moment in your presence? Do you really think that you are so irresistible?" I said, taking refuge, as I had done so many times before, in insults.

He abruptly turned his face away from me, but not before I saw his stark grimace of pain. Completely forgetting our argument, I ran to him. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that he was hurt, and no matter how fast of healer he may be, it took some time to recover from a wound like his. Guilt gnawed at me, but I ignored it.

Without thinking, I put my hands on his bandaged midsection and closed my eyes. Petunia had taught me this spell, although she had warned me not to use it too often. It acted like an anesthesia, completely numbing whatever area I directed the magic towards. After a moment I felt him relax and the ever-present smell of chocolate grew much stronger. When I opened my eyes, I stared at him, feeling the almost-familiar sensation of vertigo. I sat down abruptly on a chair that I placed beside his bed earlier.

"What did you..." he said softly.

"It's a spell Petunia taught me." I looked at him and thought of all the times he must have gone through this alone while I ran away. Of course his pride had prevented him from calling for help, so he must have mastered the pain by himself, wondering why I had abandoned him.

"I'm sorry," we said simultaneously. I looked at him in surprise. What did he have to be sorry for?

"I mean," he said, "I know this must be hard on you. I'm just being insensitive...I suppose I'm just not used to being this helpless."

I could hardly speak past the catch in my throat. "It's not...I mean, don't worry about it. I promised myself, when you didn't die that night...it's the least I can do."

He looked at me for a moment, but then broke contact abruptly. I wondered what he would say; I had come so close to revealing everything. But my moment of fear passed as he smiled slowly, almost sadly.

"Do you know," he said, "I know almost nothing about you?"  
"What?"

"I mean, I know that you can't eat without spilling half of it on yourself, and you have a habit of squealing when you get excited, but what do I know about your life?"

"You want to know about my life?" I said. "It's not very interesting..."  
"Well, you know about mine. Don't you think it's only fair? Besides, it's not like we're in a hurry."

I sighed, but settled back in the chair. Maybe I did want to spend some time with him, after all."So, what do you want to know?" I asked.

He smiled. "Everything."

I laughed a little. "Well, despite what you may think, my childhood wasn't nearly as interesting as your own. I'm sure it won't even take an hour."

"Then give me an entertaining hour, my dear."

"All right," I said, "this happened one Halloween when I was sixteen."

"Halloween?"

"Oh, sorry. It's a holiday from my world...people dress up in costumes and go door to door scaring goodies from the neighbors."

Mamoru looked incredulous. "No wonder you're so strange."

"That's not the half of it. Anyway, on Halloween, people usually buy pumpkins and carve faces in them. Pumpkins are...a large variety of squash," I said before he could ask the question. "So, I had been pining away for a pumpkin for an entire week. It was really crazy, I admit, how obsessed I was with the thing. I just had to have a pumpkin. So on Halloween, I dragged my little brother out of the house with me and walked all the way to our local garden store. Except, by that time, everyone else had bought all of the pumpkins. I went out back, and saw that they had about two pumpkins left. One was really small and half rotten, and the other was massive. The only reason no one had bought it was because it was too expensive. Now, my family didn't have a lot of money, but I couldn't stop thinking about that pumpkin. And the more I looked, the more I wanted it. It was huge, and beautiful. I fell in love with that pumpkin. I didn't care that my family couldn't afford it. So, in that crazy moment of folly, I used my mom's credit card...I mean, I used her money to buy the pumpkin. I'll never forget when she came home, and saw my massive, beautiful pumpkin sitting on the front porch. She turned to my brother and me and asked, rather calmly I suppose, how much the pumpkin had cost. And I told her. And she nodded, and looked at me, and said 'Well, Serena, I hope you like pumpkin as much as you say you do, because you're going to be eating it for a long time.' I ate pumpkin every day for three months! And even then I didn't finish it...my parents eventually took pity on me. Well, that and the fact that my complexion was turning a tad orange. It's strange. You'd think that an experience like that would make me hate pumpkins forever, but...I've always wanted to get another one like that. I think I just have a penchant for unhealthy fixations."

"That was...fascinating," he said after a moment.

I looked up at his astounded expression and smiled. "I know, you think I'm crazy. Everyone does, even my own parents. Half the time I really did believe the stuff I read about in my novels. I guess I was right, after all. I came here, somehow. I met you." I stared at a point beside his face, unwilling to meet his eyes. "You probably wish I'd stayed at home, though. I'm sorry...I know I haven't exactly been an asset on our journey. I'm just a little too inept to be of use to anyone."

"Serena," he said, "I know I am not as polite as I should be, but never doubt...how much I appreciate you."

I looked away from him, blinking furiously. I hated it when he was so sweet. I clenched my fists tightly, scrunching my face to hold back the inevitable tears. My emotions were so hopelessly jumbled that I barely knew what to think. I was only sure that every time he spoke, he undid me. Despite my efforts, tears seeped out of my lids, leaving salty tracks on my cheeks.

He touched my hand and I inadvertently met his eyes. My breath stopped. "What is it? Did I say something?"

"No," I said, voice shaking. "No," I repeated, much louder this time and wrenched my hand away from him. At this point, anger was the only emotion I could trust. I stood up, knocking the chair over in the process.

"How...how can you possibly say that you..._appreciate_ me?" I said. "No matter what else I may be, Mamoru, I'm not stupid. I know...I know...it was my fault. What happened was my fault."

"What are you--" There was a pained expression on his face.

"Just tell me, Mamoru. How did it...how did you get hurt?"

I didn't want to ask the question; I don't know why I did. Perhaps it was a morbid masochistic desire--I was already almost positive that I knew what had happened. But, once said, I couldn't take it back. After a moment, I saw understanding dawn on his face.

"There's no point, Serena. Don't make me..."

"Just _say it_!" I shouted. He dropped his gaze. "Tell me what happened. Tell me how much you appreciate me." My voice held anger I didn't know I possessed and pain I didn't suspect I could feel.

"I don't want to do this, Serena. I never would have told you if you hadn't forced me--remember that." He closed his eyes briefly. "I knew I didn't have much hope of escape and I doubted you would leave when I told you to. I know how stubborn you are. I just hoped that you would get yourself someplace safe. Even after I engaged, I had to wonder where you were."

"So, you mean that you were distracted," I said, with as close an approximation of coldness as I could manage.

"No, I didn't say that," he began to protest, but then sighed in defeat. "Perhaps a little. It took me seconds to realize that my death was a foregone conclusion. I could only hold out as long as possible, and pray that you would get away safely. I'm not quite sure when this happened, I didn't have a clear sense of time, but I heard this bloodcurdling scream, and I saw you leaping out of this tree. I was surprised, and I guess that made me careless. I took my eyes off my opponent. He...he wasn't so distracted, apparently. That's how it happened." His hands were clenched, his countenance frustrated and angry. I thought of and discarded a hundred things to say as I stood there. My anger had drained away, leaving only the bitterest pain. I suppose I had hoped that it wasn't true.

I sprinted outside, running blindly through the trees to the stream. Once there, I knelt in muddy embankment, hands clenched over my stomach. Tears coursing down my face, I bent over the stream and proceeded to violently purge my stomach, wishing I could as easily purge my guilt.

* * *

The thing most commonly forgotten about clichés is that they have their foundation in bare fact. While I usually strive for original thinking, there are things that will never be said better than they were the first time around, and this is a prime example: when it rains, it pours. Too bad, as my mother would say, that I always forgot my umbrella. I fell asleep by the stream, and by the time I awoke, the sun was already setting. I walked slowly back to the cabin, wondering if I should apologize to Mamoru.

When I walked inside I found him asleep. His face was unusually flushed but I dismissed it, relieved just to have avoided confrontation. I pulled up a chair to the kitchen table and plopped down. As I sat there, I saw dinner appear before me, but I wasn't very hungry. Even the sight of Mamoru's hated baby food didn't make me smile. Sighing, I turned to face him and wondered why he hadn't awakened yet. I stood up and went to the bed. His face, I saw, was covered in sweat, but he was shivering. Suddenly frightened, I put my hand on his forehead. He was burning with a fever. Petunia had said that the thing we needed to watch out for most during the first week was infection. It would, of course, have to happen after our huge fight. Frantically, I ran to the cupboard where Petunia kept her medicines and grabbed two small jars. As gently as I could, I took off his bandages. When I forced myself to look at the wound, though, I breathed a sigh of relief. While I was by no means an expert, it did not look infected. That meant that the fever must have stemmed from a more benign source. Even so, I conscientiously cleaned the wound and re-bandaged it. He was still asleep when I finished.

"Oh, Mamoru, what can I do?" I asked. He didn't even stir.

I needed Petunia--that much was clear. I gently probed our bond, but I sensed her ignoring me, so I tugged more insistently. Her response was so surprising that I stumbled backwards, tripping over my own feet and landing on my butt.

"Yes?" I heard her unmistakable voice snap, perfectly clear inside of my head. How did she always catch me off guard like this, anyway?

"I...need help," I said aloud, wondering if she could hear me.

"Obviously, my dear. Tell me, have you and Mamoru gotten anywhere yet?"

"Gotten anywhere? That's none of your business."

"All right, no need to be rude. You two have been so dreadfully slow about it."

I chose to ignore the comment. "Listen, Mamoru has high fever and I don't know what to do. It's not an infection...at least I don't think so."

"I don't suppose you know any herb lore?"

"No, nothing."

"Children really are getting such a lacking education these days." She clucked. "Then, there aren't many options. How strong is he, you think?"

"Much better than at first. He's a fast healer."

"Magic, then. You have to understand that the healing arts are...dangerous. Some even classify them under the dark arts. If Mamoru weren't so weak, he would have to sit out this fever on his own. Unfortunately, doing that may kill him. So, as a healer, all you can do is transfer sickness or pain from one to another. You can mitigate the effects, but not remove them. Do you understand?"

"So... you mean that the only way to heal Mamoru is to take his fever myself?""Yes, exactly. I have to warn you, though. In transfers like these, the receiver often bears the brunt of it. But, Serena, you must be _very_ careful not to heal either of his wounds. It's a completely different realm of healing, and if you do so, you may kill yourself. Not to mention it would be the equivalent of lighting signal flares for Herman."

"How can I tell the difference?"

"You shouldn't have any trouble distinguishing the two. I'm telling you this because I know you'll want to heal him completely."

"Show me the spell," I said.

In the same way that she had taught me before, I felt what I had to do rather than formally learning it.

"The earliest I can come is in about a week," she said after we finished. "Keep me posted." And with that her presence vanished resolutely from my mind. I opened my eyes, and saw that Mamoru still had not awakened. I was terrified of what could go wrong with the spell, but I had to try. The news that I could practice magic hadn't exactly been a surprise to me--even back on my world I had wondered. But I was still an amateur, and no one wanted the doctor's assistant performing the operation. Yet, perhaps doing this would relieve me of some of my guilt.

I closed my eyes and placed my hands gently on his torso. Then I entered his body.

* * *

It was in interesting process, neither "Fantastic Voyage," nor a CAT scan. I existed within him. I did not have a clear vision of his internal organs, but I could sense how they worked together, how the system functioned. I had a brief glimpse of the beauty of a human body as a whole, so it was easy to tell what was wrong. Petunia was right; I could easily tell the difference between his fever and his wound. The fever seemed to cover everything with a smoky gray haze. His wound was...just that, an awful red gash that tinged everything with bright purple tendrils of pain. It took repeated reminders for me to ignore that. Inside him, it seemed so easy to just take care of everything, but Petunia's warning still rang clear inside of my head and I refrained.

Instead, I sucked every speck of the gray dust into myself. There was far more than I had expected, and I saw that if it had remained, Mamoru would have died. I burned as it went in, existing in a state very near agony. I forced myself past the pain as I had so many times before. I released him as soon as I finished, dangerously close to passing out. As I opened my eyes slowly, I fell to my knees and held my pounding head in my hands. My vision was white around the edges, everything looked surreal. I glanced up at Mamoru through the haze. He was breathing more easily now and the unnatural color had left his face. Satisfied that he would be okay, I dragged myself to the other bed. I passed out almost as soon as I crawled under the covers.

* * *

I awoke sometime in the middle of the night, shivering uncontrollably although I felt sweat beading on my forehead. I wanted nothing more than to crawl deeper under the covers and pass out again, but instead I opened my eyes. In the moonlight I saw that Mamoru was awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. At least he's all right, I thought, and fell asleep again.

* * *

I have had my fair share of illnesses in my life. I even had my appendix removed in an emergency surgery the day before my prom. My period has never been a barrel of laughs either. But I never, during all that time, felt worse than I did that morning. My throat was so sore that I practically couldn't swallow. My head wasn't stuffed with tissue paper, it was stuffed with liquid cement. My ears pounded, my back ached, my stomach clenched and I couldn't have been colder walking naked in Antarctica. Despite this I sat up, and promptly fell back down again, overcome with dizziness and nausea. If only I had asked Petunia how I was supposed to take care of Mamoru in this state.

"I'm sorry Mamoru," I croaked. "I'll be up...in a second." My teeth chattered around the words, and I gripped my knees in a desperate bid for warmth.

"It's okay, one of the gomi was helping me out. She said her name is Etsuko."

"Etsuko?" With magnificent effort I looked across the cabin, and saw that Mamoru had indeed befriended a kitchen demon. It was only three feet tall but slender, vaguely shaped like a human but with features so pale they seemed translucent. I wondered why she had revealed herself to Mamoru.

"She says you're really sick. Are you?" Mamoru asked.

I looked at him with an expression as close to sarcasm as I could manage. "What do you think?" I said, my voice grating harshly. The effect was ruined, however, by a loud series of sneezes.

"You sure look sick," he said, and his voice was gratifyingly worried. "Are you going to be all right? It's funny, I was feeling sick yesterday, but now I feel fine."

"Imagine that," I muttered.

"She says you healed me," Mamoru said after a moment.

"How are you talking to her, anyway?" I asked.

He smiled mysteriously. "I have my ways."

I grunted. "Fine. You guys can fart at each other for all I care. Right now, I have every intention of--" I stopped abruptly, acutely aware of my stomach. Quickly, I threw off the covers and fell onto the floor. Half crawling, I made it to the door and vomited violently for the second time in two days.

* * *

"I thought I gave up drinking," I croaked half an hour later, preparing for another dry heave. After a few minutes of peace, I began to believe that I was finally finished. Shaking in exhaustion and cold, I stumbled back inside, trying to ignore Mamoru's concerned presence. I only made it about halfway to the bed, collapsing in the middle of the floor. I hadn't passed out, I was simply too exhausted to move.

"Serena!"

"No," I said to the floor. "I'm okay...hold on." I tried to sit up slowly, but even that effort failed. I felt something poke my shoulder, and I turned my head, only to find myself disturbingly close to Etsuko's translucent, slanted gray-blue eyes. Around me, the other gomi materialized. Unceremoniously they picked me up; for such thin, short creatures, they had a remarkable strength. They carried me gently to the bed, and pulled the covers back over my shaking form.

"Etsuko says she will take care of you," Mamoru said as I closed my eyes.

I smiled. "You guys really are farting at each other." It was the last thing I said for a while.

* * *

I awoke at indeterminate times, aroused by one gomi or another. They made me drink water, which I threw up the first few times, but eventually it stayed down. They also gave me some concoction that cleared my head and reduced my fever. At first I asked about Mamoru, but eventually I understood that Etsuko and the others were taking care of both of us. The first day after the fever broke, I awoke to the sun beating down upon my eyelids. I no longer felt terrible, but I still felt incredibly weak. I sat up, and was pleased to notice that my joints had stopped aching. I smiled, looked across to Mamoru's bed, and almost screamed out loud when I saw that he wasn't there. I tried to stand, but my legs refused to support me and I fell back down on the bed.

"Be careful, your fever just broke this morning," said a voice suspiciously like Mamoru's.

I swiveled my head, and saw him sitting in a chair by the kitchen table. "Don't scare me like that! How did you get there, anyway?"

"You've been semi-conscious for the past four days, Serena. I'm a fast healer."

Now that I looked, he really did seem much better. Then the real import of what he had just said sunk in. "I've been out for _four_ days?"

He winced. "Yeah, it was pretty bad for a while. You should thank Etsuko."

"Who would've thought."

"Anyway, you should get some rest."

"I've been sleeping for four days! Shouldn't that be enough?"

"If you had seen yourself, maybe you wouldn't think so," he said quietly.

I really must have scared him, I thought in surprise. Then my stomach let out a growl even Mamoru could hear.

"Hmm..." I said. "I'll go back to sleep after I eat, okay?" I stood up, and this time I was a little steadier on my feet. I wobbled to the kitchen table and collapsed in a chair, taking a second to catch my breath. As I looked at the table, breakfast food of every sort appeared, including, against all probability, a tall stack of pancakes with what looked to be genuine maple syrup.

"What is this stuff?" Mamoru asked.

I shook my head. "Where does Petunia come up with it, anyway? It's food from my world." I picked up the knife and fork and dug into the pancakes, syrup dripping down my chin.

Mamoru chuckled softly. "Well, at least I know you don't eat any better on your world than mine."

I smiled and flicked some syrup at him.

"Seriously, though, Serena," he said, and I turned to him. I wished that he wouldn't look like that; I was tired of serious conversations.

"I have to thank you for what you did. It was...hard, knowing that I was responsible for making you that sick."

There was a moment when I did not know how to react, when I could have done a number of things, none of which would eased the tension between us. Instead, I smiled.

"Well, then, why don't we call it even? I don't feel guilty about the fight, and you don't feel guilty about making me sick. I...I think it's safe to say that we both had our reasons."

He smiled. "I suppose so."

"Now, how about a pancake?"

* * *

So, we existed in the previously unknown state of amicable sociability. Mamoru steadily improved, and with the coerced help of the gomi demons-- they were reluctant to help if I could-- I took care of him. We talked, and joked, and this time I managed to tell him strange stories of my childhood without degenerating into argument. He, in turn, told me of how he learned to fight at a temple with military monks and the years he spent wandering the country as a masterless swordsman, or ronin.

After I regained my strength, I began to catch an acute case of cabin fever. After all of the traveling I had done for the past few months, staying in the same place all day made me want to scream. So, I began to go outside every morning and practice Tae Kwon Do. I had not practiced in so long that I wondered if I had forgotten everything, but an intense two-hour session proved that I was not totally devoid of talent. One day, perhaps three weeks after our arrival in Petunia's apple-grove idyll, I was perpetrating a series of particularly ferocious moves against an invisible assailant. In order to have some freedom of movement, I'd taken to wearing simply my shift and a pair of Mamoru's pants tied around my waist with a string. I was in the middle of a flying reverse kick when I heard his voice, improbably, from the doorway.

"You know, you really ought to extend your leg more, and you're kicking with the wrong part of the foot." I was so surprised that I lost my balance, and landed firmly on my butt, rather than my feet.

"Mamoru!" I said. "What are you doing out here?" He was holding onto the doorframe, and I could only imagine the effort it had taken him to make it this far.

"I wanted to see what you were doing."

He didn't say it, but I realized that he must have been experiencing cabin fever far more acute than my own. After all, he still couldn't move around without help. Taking pity on him, I stood up and walked to the door. I put his arm over my shoulder, and helped him down the porch stairs to a shady tree on the edge of the clearing. It took some effort, but eventually he managed to sit down in a relatively comfortable position, his back against the tree.

"Hope you're happy," I said, wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

I went back to my faceless opponent. It was more difficult this time, however, because Mamoru entertained himself by correcting me and making snide comments about my technique. When self consciousness made me trip on a simple flying reverse for the third time, I gave up.

"How do you know all of this, anyway?" I said, sitting in front of him.

He smirked. "I've studied under some of the most brilliant fighting masters in Umeru."

"Well, it's good to know you're modest."

"Actually, Serena, I'm pretty impressed. I never would have suspected a girl as clumsy as you had it in her."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Mamo-chan." I hadn't had a chance to use the term he so hated in a while.

"As you should, of course. What possible reason would I have to make fun of you?"

And as is characteristic of the mature person that I am, I stuck my tongue out at him.

* * *

An often forgotten corollary to "when it rains, it pours," is "after a good pouring, you get some remarkably pretty flowers."

Mamoru recovered quickly. His shoulder had healed after four weeks, and he could walk unassisted. He had to be very careful, and he would always have a scar, but compared to our first night here, we were living in paradise. And so I suppose that I was acutely aware of its transience. This had to end very soon; no matter how happy we were here, the events that we had left behind on Umeru were still waiting for us. I figured that we at least had a week left--Mamoru still needed a little more time to recover.

One morning, something that looked like a cigar box appeared on the table along with breakfast.

"What is that?" I asked with my mouth full. Mamoru silently opened the box and fingered its contents.

"How did Etsuko know..." he said softly.

"How did she know what?" I asked. Mamoru didn't even look like he had heard me. After a dazed minute he shook his head, then looked up and smiled apologetically.

"You want to go outside?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I have to wash clothes." I hated doing such menial chores, but my period had just ended and the rest of the laundry could be put off no longer.

"Why can't Etsuko and the others do it?"

I frowned. "Although you persist in not informing me how you speak to them, I don't think they can go further than a few feet from the house. Whenever I finish I'll sit outside with you."

He nodded, and looked eagerly at the strange box. "So what is it?" I asked again.

He smiled. "You'll see." He stood up slowly with the box and walked outside. Muttering about men in general and Mamoru in particular, I gathered the laundry and went out back.

* * *

I returned to the cabin three hours later, arms aching, fingers pruned and half soaked. After I hung everything out to dry on the balcony, I collapsed in front of Mamoru. He had only glanced at me as I staggered into the clearing, and let out half a muttered word of greeting. It appeared that the box contained a paint set and an array of brushes. In his lap Mamoru had one large piece of parchment, placed on a wooden board for support. He was working intently, I could see, dipping his brush into the various colors and cleaning them in a bowl of water.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Beside him were several discarded scraps of parchment, torn into shreds.

"Painting," he said.

I suppose there was nothing else he could be doing, but it shocked me. Painting required a romantic soul, and however much I loved Mamoru, I knew that he had buried his deeply.

"What are you painting?"

He glanced at me. "Why are you so curious? You'll see when I finish it." He began painting again, but within seconds started to curse. "It's been too long since I last did this," he said, ripping up yet another piece and adding it to the pile.

He has fallen away from that beauty, I thought, suddenly. Who said that? I felt as though I had an itch in my head that no amount of scratching could dislodge. I knew it was important, though. The last time this happened, I ended up naked in the middle of a city.

I sat next to him for the next few hours, but I'm not sure he ever realized I was there. When it started growing dark I forced him to go back inside. I could tell that his side was beginning to hurt from sitting in that position for so long.

The next few days continued like that. Mamoru would rush outside-- for the better light, he said-- and painted until it grew dark. Every morning he would take all the new sheets of parchment that appeared on the breakfast table, and by dinner they would all be in shreds. He would sit down dejectedly, and eat, vowing to get it right the next day. For my part, I suppressed my curiosity about his little project. Instead, I noticed how much more easily he moved. We would have to leave any day, now. I hadn't contacted Petunia in over a week in a vain effort to stave off the inevitable.

Mamoru was such an intense person; sometimes I wondered if those looks he gave me did indicate a deeper affection than friendship. But I was too afraid of my own feelings, let alone his, to delve too deeply. It was much easier to remain at a comfortable distance, no matter how much a part of me wanted his love.

The day before we left at first resembled every other day that week. I practiced Tae Kwon Do, blissfully unharassed because all of Mamoru's attention was focused on his painting. There was something unusual about him today, though. He seemed, if anything, more intense, and he had still not discarded the piece of parchment he started upon this morning. He worked constantly, only pausing to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. I had a feeling he only did that so it wouldn't drip into the painting. Eventually I gave up all pretense of practicing-- it wasn't really fun without the harassment anyway-- and sat in front of him. I knew from experience that he would not appreciate it if I interrupted him, but I was content to simply watch. I loved the way his brow furrowed in concentration, and the way he licked his lips when he decided what brush stroke to make next. I sat there for what must have been hours, memorizing his features, but he barely noticed me. Strangely enough, he did look at me quite frequently. But it was almost as though I were some painting myself, and he were cataloguing me feature by feature. When the sun began to dip below the horizon I wondered if I should tell him to stop. Yet, I had the curious sensation that what he was doing was too important to interrupt. Instead I stood on stiff legs and took one of the oil lamps inside the cabin to bring to him. He barely acknowledged the favor, but then, I hadn't expected him to. He worked perhaps two hours after that, and I sat with him, at times dozing off. The moment he was finished he put his brush down, leaned his head back on the tree and sighed as though the world had been lifted from his shoulders. I reached tentatively for the painting, and since he didn't stop me, I turned it around.

And received one of the greatest shocks of my life. It was a picture of me, dressed in my worn pink kimono, leaning against a gnarled apple tree, with one apple in my hand. I was laughing up at something, and the dappled light left patterns on my long, disheveled hair. The moment I looked at the painting I remembered what had been bothering me for the past several days. I recognized the painting, because I recognized the painter. The fifteen-year-old painter who Petunia had known so long ago. The one who was twenty-five now. The one who had not painted until this moment, who for some reason had painted me.

"I can't believe it," I whispered.

He sat up and smiled at me. "Do you like it?" he said softly, taking my hand and staring frankly into my eyes.

"I...I..." I could not form a coherent sentence. I was overcome with a number of things, not the least of which was how desperately I loved this man. What did this gaze mean, this almost carelessly placed hand of his?

In a smooth, almost practiced motion, he bent over me until his shining eyes hovered an inch above mine.

"Do you want this?" he asked, one arm wrapped around my body, gently stroking my hair with his other hand.

There are many methods of consent, not all of them verbal. Trembling uncontrollably, I put my hand gently behind his head and closed the gap between us. That was all the answer he needed. In the moment before our lips met I spared myself a moment's worry that he was not well enough to do this. Then we kissed. I melted into him, genuinely unaware of where my body ended and his began.

And then, it was so much more than that.

* * *

We lay naked, encircled in the other's arms, staring up at the night sky. The balmy night air seemed to encase us like the lightest of pillows and the crickets provided appropriate accompaniment to what was, at the time, the single greatest event of my life. Neither of us had uttered the dreaded words, but for that night at least I was confident in his love. He kissed my forehead gently, a gesture containing far more tenderness than erotic desire. I let my tears trickle into his chest, and I knew he felt them, but he didn't comment. I raised my hand to trace his scar slowly. It was still pink with new-grown skin, but already ridged.

"Is it ugly?" he asked quietly, and his breath tickled my ear.

"No," I said. "You're beautiful."

He paused for a moment, and the bright moons reflected in his strangely distant eyes.

"I watched your bright smile

Beneath the old apple tree

And felt my mind soar

Imagining you with me

Beneath silver lighted moons."

"Mamoru," I said softly. I intellectually appreciated the spontaneous waka even as my body tingled with emotion. I kissed him gently, and his lips trailed to my collarbone, eliciting a gasp.

The second time we kissed, gentleness vanished, replaced by something far more insistent.

* * *

We watched the dawn together, his strong arms wrapped gently around my stomach. I had to fight back tears as I watched the sun rise. I somehow knew that this day would change everything. The sun won the fight, like I had known it would. As if on cue, Mamoru disengaged himself gently.

"'Tis day, what though it be? Oh, wilt thou therefore rise from me?" I quoted softly.

"What?" he asked, retrieving his scattered clothes.

I stared at his butt and smiled. "Nothing," I said, standing. I dressed silently, and then walked over to Mamoru's painting. In the early morning light I was even more impressed with it than I had been last night. The painting in Petunia's foyer lacked its maturity and emotional depth. Mamoru walked behind me and put his hands gently on my shoulders.

"I had wondered if I could still do that. I haven't painted in such a long time."

"Since your mother?" I asked.

He started, and then relaxed. "Yes, I suppose so. You...can't paint when your entire life is an emotional void."

I wanted to hug him. Instead, I turned around and walked into the cabin. As soon as I stepped inside I knew that something was drastically wrong. Half of breakfast was on the table, but some of the dishes had been knocked over. Orange juice dripped from a glass into a puddle on the floor. Mamoru stood beside me in the doorway.

"Etsuko...the gomi are gone," he said.

"But, how could they have left? They're bound to this place. The only way they can leave is if someone releases..." I trailed off, feeling something I should have sensed long before. There was, ever so faintly, another presence of magic here. It was not my own or Petunia's, which meant it must be...

"Peppermint," Mamoru said softly. "I smell peppermint." I gripped his hand in something close to terror.

"Where is he, Serena?" Mamoru asked urgently.

I took a deep breath and tried to feel the presence again. "He's close. He's almost found this place...Petunia is confusing him. That's the only thing keeping him away."

"We have to leave."

"But how?"

"How did we get here?"

I paused, thinking. Mamoru was right, but where could we possibly go? Was there anyplace safe from the Kojin?

"Serena!" I heard Petunia's strained voice enter my head with such force that I fell against Mamoru. "You have to get out of there! I can't keep Herman away much longer."

"But where--"

"Use your _brain_ child! Remember what I told you about the seventh moon? Go back to your world find his journals. You don't have much time...hurry, go! You know the spell, use it!"

"Wait, how do I keep my clothes?"

"Hold on to them!" And with that, her voice dissolved.

"Serena," Mamoru said, "who are you talking to?"

"Petunia," I said, turning to him. "We've got to leave. Hold on to me, and pray." Through the door, in the clearing, I saw a flash of light followed by the appearance of a group of disoriented men. At their head was Ushiro. As I stared, I realized that we had forgotten the painting. I ripped myself out of Mamoru's grasp and dashed toward the group of men. I grabbed the painting and turned around in a quick motion, ignoring Mamoru's shouts. He ran forward to meet me, and I catapulted into him, closely followed by Ushiro and his raised sword. I closed my eyes quickly and began the spell even as Mamoru staggered backwards. We faded as Ushiro caught up with us.

"Earth," I gasped, as we neared the void. Unfortunately, I needed the name of someone in my world to locate the spell, and I couldn't think of anyone. I knew that Mina was out--I needed to go home, not Hawaii. If I deliberated any longer, Herman would be able to pull us back into Umeru. With a sense of dread I uttered the one name that I could remember, and wished most fervently that I could forget.

"Harvey," I said, and did my best to hold onto my clothes.

* * *

I materialized out of thin air in the middle of Cluck-U Chicken with a man from another world who had, against all probability, become my lover. Well, I thought philosophically, at least we weren't naked. I looked at Mamoru, and then amended my statement.

At least _I_ wasn't naked.

* * *

END of this chapter -- the next one up tomorrow or in a few days. Thanks for reading!


	8. Why I Should Have Taken the Train

Author's Note: Hi there again. So, as promised, here's more fic. In fact, a lot more fic. Wow, is this story long! Gee whiz, how do you people have time to read this thing? ;) Apologies again for any possible typos and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Book Six: Why I Should Have Taken the Train**

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The dumbfounded patrons stared at us, many displaying bits of masticated chicken in their opened mouths. Mamoru looked nearly as shocked. I don't think he realized that he was naked. Someone behind me cleared his throat. I had heard that reflexive, nervous gesture far too many times before in my previous flirtation with minimum wage employment not to recognize it now. Indeed, I turned around to face my former nemesis almost by compulsion. Mamoru followed suit, and in the corner of my eye I saw the expression on his face change. It was subtle, he had never been one to display any emotion he didn't have to, but I knew that Mamoru had just realized his less than desirable state of dress. Despite everything, I could not keep a smile from my face. Perhaps there was such a thing as cosmic justice, after all. I met Harvey's shocked gaze unflinchingly.

"A...Serena?" Harvey said. "What the hell? Why are you...who is that...how did you..." He trailed off. I could see him push his questions away for later. He turned momentarily away from the two of us, and raised his hands placatingly.

"Don't worry folks," he said in a voice I'm sure he meant to be reassuring. His beady eyes darted back and forth, and his jowls quivered with the effort it took him to smile. "These are my..."

I smiled, suddenly not caring at all what these people thought of us.

"We were at a wild party," I said, my voice positively laden with sarcasm. "It _is_ Halloween, isn't it?" Well, it was a better method of learning the date than asking who was president, at any rate.

"Halloween?" Harvey said. "It was two days ago."

"Well, see what I mean?" I smiled and leaned into Mamoru. "It was a _wild_ party."

A twenty-something guy sitting to my left let off a long whistle. "You can invite me to your parties any time, sister."

His voice broke the strange spell of silence that had surrounded us. The crowded restaurant suddenly erupted in a buzz of noise, prudish whispers mingling with appreciative laughter. Quite a few females eyed Mamoru with more than passing curiosity. Harvey looked around in horror, and I could see him wondering what this event would do to his patronage. A number of female pedestrians had crowded the yellow tinted windows, each clamoring for a better view of Mamoru. Harvey cursed behind me and then grabbed both of us by the elbow and dragged us into his back office.

He slammed the door and started pacing in front of the desk. After a moment, Mamoru and I sat down. Mamoru looked so uncomfortable that I began to feel sorry for him. I reached over and held his hand.

"Don't worry, we'll get out of here soon," I whispered, but he just looked at me blankly. I stared back, dawning realization making my stomach clench.

"Oh my God, Mamoru, please tell me that you speak English," I said. His almost panicked expression told me all I needed to know.

"Harvey," I said, and he stopped in mid-pace. "You have got to help us."

"Help you? After what you did? I'm probably going to get shut down! No one will want to eat here anymore! I'm ruined!"

"Oh, don't overreact. If I know this city, you'll probably have more business in the next month than you can handle. You know it too. We've actually helped you immeasurably. You ought to thank us. Go look outside and tell me if this place isn't crowded." Harvey gave me an appraising look, and poked his head outside the office door. He stood there a minute and then returned to face me, a smile dimpling his heavy cheeks.

"You're right. Imagine that. Well, I suppose I can do something. I must admit this is rather...strange, Serena. Why did you just show up here after two months, anyway? And...tell me I'm crazy, but it looked to me like you two just dropped out of thin air..."

I laughed nervously, and ran my hand through my tangled hair. "Yeah, well...you can never be sure of your eyes these days, can you? We just walked in through the doors like every one else."

His skeptical expression told me that he didn't really believe that, but he couldn't quite believe what he had seen, either.

"So, anyway, he really needs some clothes or something." I said, gesturing to Mamoru.

"Oh...of course," he said , walking to the closet. "How did that happen anyway?"

"Oh, you know," I said, "it was a _wild_ party."

Harvey grunted in response. He rummaged through the closet for a few moments.

"I don't think any of the extra uniforms I have in here will fit him." He dragged something out, and turned to face Mamoru. "Hey, I'm really sorry about this, but this is all I have with me..." Mamoru whirled to face me, horrified. I just winced. In his hands Harvey held no less than a full-bodied chicken suit, with a garishly large Cluck-U Chicken logo branded on the front and back.

"That's...it?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well," I said, turning to Mamoru, "at least you don't have to wear the head."

---------------------

The sight of a giant chicken stomping down the sidewalks of Georgetown waxing loquacious in a language previously unknown on this planet would have been hilarious had it not forced me to understand how fundamental our communication problem was. I couldn't go on the Internet and download a translation. I couldn't buy a dictionary. Mamoru and I had no way to speak to one another. I prayed that I could find a language spell somewhere in Petunia's house, but for now frustration had reduced Mamoru to flapping his wings.

The streets weren't very crowded, but the first time that a car sped past us Mamoru jumped in front of me, shaking his wing in a way I suppose he hoped was threatening. The car just honked. Mamoru gave me a look of sheer confusion, accompanied by another diatribe in his language, this time directed towards me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Listen, you'll just have to trust me, Mamoru!" I said after another car passed us. "Damn it, I know you don't understand me, but..." I bowed my head in resignation. "Cars," I said slowly, miming the sound of an engine and a car horn, "are perfectly safe. Don't worry." Mamoru seemed to understand this time, and he sighed. The next time a car drove by, he flinched, but there were no more theatrics. As we neared my apartment I grew a little nervous. This would not be an ideal moment to encounter anyone I knew.

I darted into my driveway and looked around furtively. In fact, I was so busy trying to avoid people that I nearly stepped on Mrs. Aiken. She was busy separating the number 2 plastic from the number 5, but as soon as she saw me she stood up. Mrs. Aiken, unfortunately, is my landlady. Under normal circumstances we tolerated each other, but the fact that her tenants had disappeared without paying the rent probably hadn't improved her disposition. For a hopeful second I wondered if Mina had come back and settled the issue. It had been two months, after all.

"Why...May! Is that you? Or is that Serena...you two look so much like twins sometimes..."

"It's Serena, Mrs. Aiken," I said, feeling sixteen again.

"Where have you been, these two months? I know you said you would be on vacation, but it's been so long! And your rent! You're usually so good about it. And who is this? Where have you _been_? Why--"

"I'm really sorry about all of this, Mrs. Aiken," I said, inching towards the door. "We both had so much fun down there, we just lost track of everything. Believe me, I'll get the rent to you tomorrow, I swear." How I would do that, I had no idea, but I was willing to say just about anything to get inside my door. The fact that Mina hadn't come home yet worried me a little, though. I couldn't imagine what had possessed her to stay away for so long. Well, besides seducing half the male population of Hawaii.

"We've just come back from a Halloween party, and we're very tired, Mrs. Aiken, so if you don't mind..."

"But who is this? What a strange costume. And are you aware that Halloween was two days ago?"

"Oh, he's an...exchange student from...Georgetown University. He doesn't speak much English." I walked towards the door, dragging Mamoru with me. "Well, see you tomorrow, Mrs. Aiken," I said as I scooped the extra key out from under the potted plant beside our door. She had her mouth open to speak as I shut the door.

As soon as he realized that we were alone, Mamoru divested himself of the chicken suit. He looked like he wanted to spit on it too, but refrained. After a moment, he walked forward and hugged me tightly, saying something under his breath. I gasped and then, tentatively, hugged him back. He kissed my forehead gently, moving down my face until I raised my lips to meet his.

Strange how passion would strike us at any time. No matter where I was, or what was happening, Mamoru could command me--physically at least--with a look. Perhaps the explanation was merely biological, or perhaps it spoke of a deeper bond between us. Regardless, the end result was that I found myself naked with my back pressed against the door without being fully conscious of how we got that way. A few minutes passed before I pushed him away gently.

"You know, Mamoru," I said, knowing that he couldn't understand me, "you really need a shower. Actually," I said, sniffing, "I think I need a shower, too. Well..."I suddenly brightened, "I know! I've wanted to do this ever since..." I grabbed Mamoru's hand as I talked, walking towards the bathroom. He didn't flinch too much when I turned on the shower, but he shook his head, muttering something that I'm sure was not too flattering. My shower wasn't large, but I didn't expect that to be a problem.

Mamoru is, I must say, a very fast learner. It took him under ten seconds to figure out exactly what was going on.

---------------------

Several hours later, I crawled out from under Mamoru's arms and my covers, gripping my stomach. For a panicked moment I thought I would have to use rags again, but I then remembered that I was once again in the land of convenience and aspirin. While the thought hadn't even occurred to me before, I realized that I could easily have been pregnant. The fact that I had avoided such a state said something about my luck, but I couldn't leave it to chance anymore.

I left Mamoru asleep and got dressed quickly. Hoping that he would stay asleep until I returned, I ran out of the door and down the street to the local drug store.

I careened around the corner and into the automatic doors, almost running into a middle-aged woman carrying a large box of catnip. I apologized over my shoulder, and then paused breathlessly to look at the signs above the aisles. Unfortunately, none of them listed what I was looking for. Gulping, I approached a man shelving shampoo bottles.

I cleared my throat and he turned to me.

"Can I help you?"

"Do you have..." my voice came out a reedy whisper and I tried again. "Do you have any condoms?"

---------------------

Mamoru looked incredibly relieved when I walked through the door. I felt guilty--I should have told him I was leaving. He was as vulnerable in this world as I had been in his. More so, in fact, because he didn't even speak the language. He opened his mouth to say something as I stood there, but closed it. We were both aware of how useless words had become.

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing he would understand. He smiled, and said something else, which probably meant "don't worry about it." I gave him a weak smile in return and walked to the kitchen. He followed me in a few seconds later.

Since I was hungry, I cooked--or tried to, anyway. After I tossed some hopelessly burnt grits down the sink I stood in the middle of the kitchen, fuming. Were even grits above my skill level these days? Mamoru, seated at the kitchen table, started laughing at me.

"Oh, shut up...Mamo-chan!" At least the nickname was in his language. I assumed he called me Lady Dumpling Head, and his smile was so infectious that I couldn't help but smile back. Deciding I had better things to do than fight with kitchenware, I combed Mina's room in the hope of finding more loose change. I found a twenty-dollar bill, which was more than enough to order pizza.

I went into the living room where Mamoru was sitting, gazing expressionlessly into space. I sat next to him, picked up the remote for our sound system and turned on the radio. Mamoru jumped up, his hands reaching for his swords before he remembered that he no longer had them. When he saw that I hadn't even moved he sighed and sat back down again, muttering something. I patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and showed him how it worked. He looked suitably intrigued, but gave me a look that said far more eloquently than words: "What the hell kind of world do you live in, anyway?"

While he fooled around with the radio, I went back to Mina's room to look for male clothing. After some rummaging, I found a pair of jeans and a Redskins tee shirt that looked roughly his size. I even found some heart boxers. Mamoru eyed the clothes dubiously, but I couldn't let him wander around naked in front of the delivery man, so I made him put them on. All things considered, he looked very good. He smirked at my appreciation.

"Oh, shut up," I said.

After Mamoru and I finished demolishing the pizza, I found the extra key to Petunia's house, and took him across the street. Hopefully I could solve our language problems and maybe, if I was lucky, my money problems. Mamoru followed me in bare feet--I hadn't found anything near his shoe size in our apartment. If I could get the money for the rent, I would borrow some from Mr. Aiken tomorrow. I opened the door and flipped on the foyer lights.

Mamoru looked around curiously and then saw his painting on the wall. He said something softly, staring at the picture with a bemused expression. Then he turned away from it and gestured for me to keep going. I headed to the library, planning to check the drawer where I had found the ripped page of the traveling spell. Mamoru looked at the masses of books with an eagerness that surprised me. He found the section in his own language and sat down in front of it, ignoring me entirely. I left him to it, trying to remember where I put the key that opened the drawer. Much to my consternation, it took me almost fifteen minutes to remember that I never re-locked it in the first place.

"Stupid," I muttered, and pulled it open. I rummaged through it, but the only interesting thing I found was the envelope that Petunia had taken the cash from so long ago. There was, unfortunately, no money in the envelope but there was a small brass key--the kind that opened chests or jewelry boxes. I decided to look for what it might open after I searched the rest of her house for a solution to our language problem. As I walked out, Mamoru put down the book he was reading and followed me. I hoped that the mysteriously locked door down the hall from her bedroom would have something useful inside.

I stepped away from the door, considering. Well, I knew how to use magic, right? I gathered raw power and sent it forcefully into the lock. The flying pieces barely missed both Mamoru and I, but the door stood ajar.

"Ha!" I said triumphantly, before seeing Mamoru's wide-eyed expression. A piece of metal was embedded in the wall right next to his face.

"Sorry about that."

---------------------

Strangely enough, the room held exactly what I was looking for. Petunia had left it surprisingly clean, considering the state of the library. A mahogany desk stood in the corner of the room, with only a large book, some paper and a pen on top of it. On the walls were four large scrolls written in Mamoru's language. The floor was covered in a thick carpet. Otherwise, the room was bare. Mamoru looked at the scroll nearest us, reading with a furrow of concentration on his forehead. I walked to the desk and hefted the book. The cover was blank, but a quick glance at the table of contents confirmed my suspicions.

"An Overview of the Magical Arts, Volume One," it read at the top. "Chapter One: Traveling, Chapter Two: Healing, Chapter Three: Psychic Control, Chapter Four: Music."

I read it over again. I really hoped that language fell under one of these categories.

Mamoru called my name and I turned around. He was pointing to the scroll in the far left corner of the room. He pointed to himself and then the scroll all the while singing something.

I covered my ears. "Yikes, Mamoru, don't quit the day job, okay?"

He shook his head and continued singing.

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

He gave me a look of pure exasperation, crossed the room and snatched the book from me. He stared at it several minutes, although I couldn't imagine what he was doing since it was written in English. Finally, he looked up. He pointed to the first chapter, "Traveling" and then pointed to the scroll closest to us on the right. "Healing" apparently corresponded to the one on the far right; "Psychic Control" to the one on the near left and "Music" to the one on the far left.

Music, I thought, what about music? After a minute, I pieced it together. Of course, music, in a magical sense, must cover language as well. I smiled sheepishly at Mamoru and gave him a thumbs up. He just rolled his eyes. Picking up the book, I sat down on the floor cross-legged, and began to read.

Language, according to the book was essentially a very long, and complicated song. Which meant it could be understood innately by all like-minded creatures with the casting of a simple spell. It rambled on in this vein for quite some time before actually describing the technicalities.

"The specifics of the language spell, are, for the experienced user almost completely unnecessary. A clear, focused mind and an innate sense of the language transfer is more than enough. However, the beginning user should use each language's note sequence, listed later, when casting the spell in order to avoid confusion. The key, so to speak, of using this spell lays in how one gathers power, not in its execution. Excess power will always have harmful results, as will too little. For the beginning user, a brigan--a _brigan_?--ought to suffice. The power must then flow musically from the caster's mouth (if one is a beginner) to the one upon whom the language spell is being performed. Following is an index of popular languages and their note sequence."

I looked up at Mamoru and shrugged my shoulders. "Well, it can't hurt to try, at least."

---------------------

I sat next to Mamoru on the bench in front of Petunia's very expensive Steinway, situated in a room off of the foyer. While I wasn't a musician, I had taken some rudimentary piano classes when I was younger. I hoped that would be enough. I found English quickly--listed, incidentally, right after Elephant. I hefted the book onto the stand, and looked at the two tiny bars of music. Unfortunately, I seemed to have forgotten what flats, sharps and key signatures meant.

"Oh shit," I said. I didn't even know how to begin playing this.

"Serena," Mamoru said. I looked up. He said something else and pointed to the book.

"What, do you want to play?" I asked. He pushed me aside on the bench and put his hands on the keys. This had to be impossible, I thought. How could they have the same type of musical notation system in Umeru? All of the music I heard there probably couldn't even be written on a western staff. He looked at the measures for a few seconds before he tapped out the melody. I stared at him.

"How did you do that?"

Suddenly, he grinned, and played the same melody, this time with an accompaniment. I looked back at the score. I clearly wasn't much of a musician, but I knew those notes weren't on the sheet.

I sighed. "Hell, why not? You're intelligent, athletic, good-looking, incredibly artistic, why not be a musical prodigy as well? It makes perfect sense."

I made him play the notes for me a few more times before I felt ready to cast the spell. At least this was one thing I could do that he couldn't, I thought peevishly.

I drew power into me, and then stopped at what I hoped was a good amount. I turned to face Mamoru and began to sing. I was halfway through when I sung a note slightly off-pitch and I felt the spell waver dangerously. I cursed inwardly, but I had suddenly forgotten the rest of the song. Then I heard the notes again, played firmly on the piano. Feeling giddy with relief, I finished the spell.

After I finished, I glanced back at the book and noticed a few sentences printed at the bottom of the page. "Please note," it said, "singing the wrong notes may result in the irreparable harm of both caster and subject."

Of course.

---------------------

"Mamoru, where the hell did you learn to play the piano?" I asked.

"The Lady. Music isn't written that way in the south. Up north they have an instrument something like this piano. She stayed in the village with my mother and me one summer and taught me how to play it. Later, when I was traveling up north, I met up with a troupe of musicians and played with them for a few months."

I shook my head. Mamoru always did manage to surprise me. "So, just out of curiosity, how many instruments do you play?"

He thought it over for a few moments. "Seven," he said finally, "or eight, if you count this piano."

"Eight." I said. "Well, that's perfectly normal. Who doesn't know how to play at least six instruments, after all. How silly of me."

"Serena, are you okay?"

I forced a smile. "Nothing a little money wouldn't fix." I fished through my pockets, looking for the key. "I've got to do one more thing and then we can go back," I said.

I left him improvising on the piano while I went back upstairs to search Petunia's bedroom. If this actually was the key to Petunia's hidden stash of money, it was most likely in her bedroom. I searched the corners and underneath and behind all of her dressers, but I didn't find anything until I stuck my hand under her bed. Sure enough, I found a small chestnut box covered in white cat hair that had a small lock on it. I sneezed as I brushed Jeannie's hair off, and then stuck the key in the hole. It fit perfectly, and when I opened the box I discovered neatly stacked hundred dollar bills at least five wads deep.

"Jesus Christ," I said to myself as I rifled through the money, "what did she do, rob a bank?" Then I saw a number taped to the top of the box, with a dollar sign next to it and a label that read "The Inter-Planetary Association for Metaphysical and Magical studies, monetary division." I took two wads of bills and wrote down the number, just in case I would need more later.

I pocketed the money and went back downstairs. Mamoru was leaning against the piano, looking impatient.

"Shall we get out of here?" he said, "I think I want to try out that water-closet of yours again."

"With me?"

He smiled. "Of course."

---------------------

The next morning, I took Mamoru to a local diner. Now that we could understand each other, Mamoru was forcing me to explain all of twentieth century technology. I felt like I was back in high school; Mamoru wanted a level of detail that almost made me wish I remembered the horrors of senior year physics.

"What's really strange about this place," Mamoru said in between mouthfuls of waffle, "is that so much of it looks like magic, but it isn't. And it's so inefficient! If you can make the stairs move, why not the sidewalks?" Mamoru held his fork in such a determinedly ham-fisted fashion that I laughed.

"And you say I can't eat."

"Well, is it my fault that you people use shovels," he said, demonstrating. I burst into another fit of laughter. He bore it stoically.

"All I hope," I said, "is that you think twice before you mock my skills with chopsticks again."

"You, my dear, are on a completely different level," he said, clumsily spreading strawberry jam on his toast. As I had predicted, he dropped some, and in the process smeared a great deal all over his shirt.

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah. Tell that to your dry cleaners."

Then I had to tell him what a dry cleaners was, which pretty much ruined the joke.

---------------------

After breakfast I sat down with the telephone book and called every library in the city, asking after a mysterious donation of old books and/or miscellaneous items by the estate of a man named Herman. I quickly realized, however, that I would make no progress until I could provide his full name. No librarian was willing to go through each collection donated by a Herman and see if it matched what I was looking for.

I vaguely remembered that Petunia had mentioned his last name to me back in the apple-tree grove, but no amount of mental prodding could bring it back.

"Can't you just ask the Lady?" Mamoru said once I explained the problem.

I shook my head. "I've tried. I don't think our bond works as well on different worlds. I can still feel her presence, but I can't talk to her."

"Well...she and the Kojin are siblings, aren't they? So, it stands to reason they have the same surname."

"If she didn't get married or if he didn't change his name."

"Well, maybe something will jog your memory if we search her place."

We headed back across the street. Since Mamoru couldn't read English, he sat on the library couch while I rifled through Petunia's belongings.

"I find it so hard to believe that all women in your world go around dressed like men. How do they even attract them? Those...jeans of yours leave something to be desired in the way of feminine curves."

At this opportune moment my ass--amply displayed through my "un-feminine" jeans--was in the air, since I had bent over to get a closer view at her box of romance novels. I stood up abruptly and turned to face him, arms akimbo. He looked great, as usual. Earlier today we had visited an expensive men's store in Georgetown and I had bought him some clothes.

"Oh, so you find me unattractive, do you? Perhaps you can sleep on the couch alone tonight, then? And take a shower alone, too. After all, I wouldn't want you to be repulsed by my 'manly' clothing. Who knows what it would do to you, since of course your looks are so far superior to my own." I glared at him, and then ruined the effect by blowing an errant strand of blonde hair from my face.

"Well, perhaps I didn't mean it quite like that," he said, levering himself up from the couch. He approached me warily. "I only said the clothes didn't become you, Serena, not that you were unattractive."

"Oh really?" I said. I ducked from his attempted embrace but found myself pinned against a bookshelf. Knowing I was cornered, he slowed his advance and his grin resembled that of a very satisfied cat.

"Yes," he said, "I do, in fact, find you...very attractive."

Despite myself, I smiled. There were serious problems with finding a man like Mamoru so sexy. Problems like being unable to stand my ground when he was determined to do something.

"But you...just...don't...like...my clothes?" I asked. My throat was suddenly dry. His wrapped his arms around me and his lips began an inexorable decent towards mine. His hands strayed lower and lower until they traced the shape of my hips, hugging the jeans.

"I thought..."

He smiled again, and shrugged his shoulders. "So, perhaps I was wrong."

Then his lips met mine.

I removed myself from Mamoru's embrace before the aforementioned "manly" clothes decorated the floor instead of my body and returned to the box of books. I picked another one up and looked in the front cover.

"Petunia Liverwell," I read. "Oh, of course! I knew it had to be something horrible."

---------------------

Mamoru and I headed back across the street to the less sumptuous, if more familiar comfort of my apartment. The first place I called--Georgetown University Library--said they had no records of any donations given by a Herman Liverwell. This didn't surprise me, but it was a little discouraging. There were many libraries in DC, and if I had to call all of them, it would take days. A few more calls yielded similar results.

I was in the middle of a phone call ten minutes later when Mamoru strolled into the kitchen.

He was naked. Absolutely, stark naked. He sauntered up to me as I stuttered into the phone, eyes involuntarily glued to his approaching form.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"I was bored," he said, smiling expansively. He sat down in a chair across from me, leaving his legs open. "I forgot where that water closet of yours is," he said, almost as an afterthought.

"Um...ma'am, excuse me? Are you there?" The clipped female voice sounded distinctly annoyed.

"Oh, s-sorry," I stuttered. "What were you saying?"

"I was _saying_ that I checked the records and it seems--"

"Jesus Christ, Mamoru!"

"Ma'am?" the woman said. She sounded like she might hang up the phone on me.

I fended my attacker off my neck, only to have him descend to other, even more inappropriate areas. "Sorry...about that. It's my...um...cat." I bit my tongue.

"I'm just trying to tell you that it appears we do have a collection donated by a Herman Liverwell. Ma'am? Are you there?"

"Yes, yes," I said, bringing the phone back to my face. "So, you have it?"

"That's what I said."

"Oh. Umm...thank you."

"No problem," she said. "Good bye, ma'am."

Five minutes later, when the phone had ceased making the 'please hang up' noise, Mamoru disengaged himself long enough to ask me what had happened. Or at least that's what I thought that grunt meant.

"Yeah," I said, freeing my mouth, "I found it. We can go tomorrow."

"Where?" he asked, his words muffled by my hair.

"The library of congress," I said. "But for now, why don't we make further use of the water closet?"

---------------------

That evening we sat companionably on the couch, eating cold pizza and listening to music. While Mamoru had not yet come to terms with the television, the radio, and specifically modern music, fascinated him to no end. We were listening to the Beatles. His arm rested lightly around my shoulders and I leaned into him. My head felt like it was a just-opened fizzy drink. I was inundated with everything Mamoru: his slightly wet, musky scent, the feel of his chest against my face, his all-encompassing warmth. This feeling wasn't exactly wild passion, but in its own way it was just as satisfying. I put my pizza down on the coffee table, wrapped my arms around him and burrowed my face into his chest, breathing deeply. He shifted and turned my face up to him. My expression must have shown some of what I was feeling, but his answering smile seemed pained, somehow. I had no time to wonder about this because his lips bore down inexorably upon mine. The kiss deepened, and my senses fragmented.

There was the passion, certainly. Passion drawing my arms around his back, pulling him closer even while another shard of my disjointed psyche wondered why this was happening. Desperation did not allow me the time to spare for a breath. And something else I could not identify, something sad yet resolute, made me kiss him until I felt light-headed from lack of oxygen, until for a marvelous split-second it felt as though Mamoru and I existed as one entity. He broke it off, breathing heavily, and his wide eyes locked with mine. I blinked. I hadn't known _anything_, let alone a kiss, could feel like that.

"Serena, I..." Mamoru whispered hoarsely.

"Yes?" I said, suddenly hopeful.

He abruptly looked away. "Never mind."

---------------------

That night he had a nightmare. I woke up cold, feeling around the bed for his familiar warmth. He had rolled to the farthest edge, his eyes closed but his expression agitated. He was speaking in garbled sentences that I couldn't make out. I moved closer to him, almost frightened. He seemed so desperate. He was sweating, and the covers were tangled around his naked body like he had been fighting.

"Mamoru?" I whispered, but he didn't hear me. He shook his head back and forth, whispering something. With a shuddering breath, I leaned in closer, trying to hear what he was saying.

"No," he said, "please...don't! I'll do anything..." I shuddered. Whatever the nightmare was, I couldn't let him suffer through it any longer. I touched him gently, whispering his name over and over until he quieted. He responded to my touch and turned almost gratefully towards me, his arms wrapping around my body convulsively. I held him to me, burying my face in his hair. I could feel his tears, and his struggle to keep them back.

"Serena?" he whispered.

"Shh, I'm here Mamoru. Don't worry."

Sleep was a long time in coming.

---------------------

That morning Mamoru gave no outward indication that he remembered the events of the night before. Perhaps I was just being oversensitive, but I thought I detected something lurking beneath his smiling eyes, a lingering fear, perhaps, of whatever had scared him so the night before. I wasn't so naïve to assume that it had only been a dream--Mamoru's reaction made that easy explanation a lie. I was too afraid to bring it up, however, so I pushed the subject to the back of my mind.

We took the metro to the Library of Congress, although the bus would have been faster. The DC bus system is a trial for people born and bred in the 20th century, let alone a society that had yet to discover electricity.

Unfortunately, I doubted it would be much easier to reassure Mamoru about the cliff-like elevators of DC's metro system. From the top of the escalator at Foggy Bottom, you couldn't even see over the edge until you stepped on it. Needless to say, Mamoru wasn't exactly keen to walk over a cliff towards what must have appeared to be a decidedly uncertain future. He stood stubbornly against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes darted periodically towards the moving staircase with a measure of awe.

"How many of these things exist? How does it work? Are you aware that we will both die if we fall off that thing?"

"Mamoru," I said with equally mixed exasperation and amusement, "We use them all the time. Unless you have your shoelace untied or anything, you'll be perfectly safe."

"My shoelace?" he said, examining his perfectly tied shoes. "Does this thing take it as a sacrificial offering?"

"This _thing_ is an escalator. It's purely mechanical. It doesn't want your shoelace, but if it gets caught...um...bad things can happen." I belatedly realized that this was not a good time to graphically describe the dangers of escalators. Of course, having gotten that far, it did not take Mamoru much time to figure out the danger for himself. With an expression of horror, he bent over and retied his shoelaces.

"Can we go now?" I asked.

He looked at me and then the escalator. "What about your shoes?" he said finally.

"My shoes are fine! Can we leave? The library doesn't stay open forever, you know."

"Are you sure your shoes are safe?" he asked again, with genuine concern.

Amused, but touched, I humored him by bending over and tying my laces in a double knot. "Satisfied?"

He sighed and shook his head. "As much as I'll ever be," he said. He closed his eyes as he went on the first step.

---------------------

After that, Mamoru seemed more inclined to trust me about strange technology. While the approach of the train with its loud engine and bright lights made him jump in front of me, he quickly realized that this was in fact our means of transportation, not a threat.

"Does my world seem this strange to you?" he asked, after we had sat down.

The question caught me off-guard, and I had to think for a second before answering. I thought about that bout with my period, the weeks on the road without a proper bath, the constant confusion, the fighting and I realized that it really had been that strange. For the first time in two months I actually felt fully in control of a situation.

"Yes," I said.

---------------------

Mamoru decided to walk up the escalator, and he was waiting for me when I arrived panting at the top. He, of course, looked as though he could have easily hiked ten flights more. After I recovered my breath, we walked the short distance from the metro to the library.

"See, Mamoru, you have to understand that the dangers are different here," I said. "Most of them aren't physical, like in your world. Cars are noisy and they smell bad, but they aren't going to run us over on the sidewalk. Of course, there is physical danger, but that's usually in the form of heavy pieces of metal flying towards you at high velocity, which you are powerless to stop. All you can really do is minimize the damage."

Mamoru looked faintly horrified.

"That's a weapon? How does anyone defend themselves? Who would make them?"

I shrugged my shoulders. After a lifetime in the city with America's highest murder rate, I had lost all sensitivity to the thought of gun violence. "Well, I guess that people just kept making better weapons, and people who wanted to kill other people kept using them until you have these killing machines that no normal person can do anything about. The only way to stay safe is not to make yourself a target. Like I said, it's very different."

He shook his head. "I'll feel safer once we get back to my world," he said. And despite everything, I could only agree.

---------------------

I had forgotten how much I loved the Library of Congress. As I led Mamoru past the security guards in the Madison building, I was overcome with a sense of homecoming. I sniffed the air, relishing the scent of books that permeated even the hallway.

"This library," I said in a reverential whisper, "has almost every single book that has ever been written in the English language, and a bunch of other languages too."

"That's what they say about the Emperor's library, but no one is allowed to go there except his chosen vassals. I always wanted to go, though. The way my mother described it...I thought it had to be the most incredible place in the world."

My heart constricted. He was the only other person I had ever met who understood my love of the library. His mention of the Emperor, however, reminded me of our task, and I set about finding the Special Collections division. While I love the library, I don't have very many good things to say about its bureaucracy.

There were only two people ahead of us in line, but the librarian at the desk worked at roughly the speed of two-toed sloth, so we had to wait a half-hour for our turn.

"Mina I help you?" she asked in monotone. Her eyes were half closed below a worn Miami Beach visor.

"Yes." I said. "We're doing some research on..." I trailed off. Why would anyone want to see Herman's collection, anyway? The woman narrowed her eyes and I wondered if this was the same one I had terrorized on the telephone yesterday.

"We're looking for a collection donated by a Herman Liverwell," Mamoru said. "We're...writing a book about him." His voice was confident, and even though the librarian eyed me suspiciously, she gave Mamoru a distinctly dopey grin.

"Hold on, I'll see if that collection is available to the public," she said, and left with a lingering glance at Mamoru.

"We're writing a book, huh?"

"Well, I can't say I heard anything useful coming from your end."

I crossed my arms and grunted disdainfully. The librarian returned a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head and looking like Mamoru as though she really was. "That collection is only open to congressmen and persons with explicit permission from his estate. You're not a congressman, are you?" she asked, looking hopefully at Mamoru. Mamoru, who obviously had no idea what a congressman was, stuttered for a moment, and then shook his head. She looked disappointed.

"Well," she said, "let me see if my supervisor can do anything about it. I'll be right back." Mamoru smiled at her encouragingly, and her blush spread to her hairline.

"Mamoru," I said, raising my eyebrows, "you'd better watch out. She's at least fifteen years older than you."

"What are you talking about?"

I laughed. "You really are dense, aren't you? So how do you know when I'm admiring you?"

"Because you, my dear," he said while putting his arm around my waist, "are so perfectly obvious."

I shivered a little and it took a couple of tries for me to take a deep breath. "And _she_ wasn't?"

Mamoru had the grace to look embarrassed. "Yes, well, I guess I just didn't notice..."

"I should at least be grateful you deign to notice me, I suppose."

"It's not a matter of choice. You are absolutely unavoidable." It didn't sound like a compliment, much less a romantic gesture, but my breath stuck in my throat. The librarian came back soon after that, and the sight of Mamoru with his arm around my waist made her smile droop. I had to force myself not to smirk.

"She says that she could speak to you about it, but it will probably be difficult to get access."

"That's fine," I said. She frowned at me, smiled at Mamoru, and then led the way through a hallway of private offices. We stopped at a door on the right labeled: "Special Collections Division Coordinator: Karen Feingold." The librarian knocked on the door and motioned us to go inside. The office was spacious, with a large desk and two comfortable-looking armchairs for visitors. The walls were lined with notebooks and papers, and decorated with a few framed Library of Congress posters. The woman behind the desk, while about the same age as the librarian, looked slightly more glamorous. She kept her brown hair stylishly short with a light perm, which framed her attractive, if heavily made up face. She smiled at us when we entered the room but her gaze lingered on Mamoru.

"Please, sit down," she said. "You'll have to excuse the mess." She gestured towards her cluttered desk, but otherwise the room was spotless.

"Oh no, don't worry about it," I said with a smile.

"Thanks, Julie," she said once we had seated ourselves. Julie took her time leaving, and I'm pretty sure she lingered by the door afterwards.

"So, what can I do for you?" she asked with an engaging smile. "My name is Karen, by the way."

"I'm Serena and this is Mamoru," I said. "We're writing a book about Herman Liverwell, and we really need to have access to his collection."

"Writing a book, you say?" She opened a drawer beneath her desk and pulled out a large binder. "Might I ask what sparked your interest in him?" She had started flipping through the pages. "I can't say I've ever heard anything about him until now."

"Well...um...he's...he was my godfather." Karen gave me a sharp look, and I realized that a man who must have "died" or at least disappeared in the fifties could not possibly be the godfather of someone as young as I. "My mother's godfather, I mean," I amended hastily. "They were so close and she...always told me...stories about him. So, when I told Mamoru about his life...he was the one who gave me the idea to...um...write his biography."

The smile still remained on her face, but I knew she was wondering--as many women did, it seemed--exactly what relationship I had with Mamoru.

"It seems fascinating," she said, but I knew she probably wasn't referring to Herman. "Well, here is his entry. This is a index of every donated collection in the Library of Congress. Here, it says: 'Collection number 2113C: Herman Liverwell, donated 1950 under restriction. Contains journals, foreign language books and several old maps.'" After she had finished, she looked up at us with a perfectly executed expression of regret.

"I'm sorry, but says here that it was donated "under restriction," which means that we can't show it to the general public. Only congressmen and those who have express permission from his estate can see it." Which was exactly what Julie the librarian had told us a half hour ago.

Mamoru's expression was carefully blank, which told me that he was seconds away from saying something that would only get us kicked out of the library.

"Tell you what," she said, "Why don't I go and find the contact information for his estate. I know how frustrating this can be."

"We would really appreciate that," Mamoru said, speaking for the first time. His smile was so forcefully charming that I knew he was doing it on purpose. It worked, of course. After her initial surprise to hear him talk--she must have assumed he didn't speak English-- she practically glided out the door.

---------------------

Mamoru ran out of the room a few moments later, saying something about having an idea. He returned after five minutes, looking very satisfied with himself. I did not have any time to yell at him, however, because Karen entered the room as soon as Mamoru sat back down.

"Here's the information," she said, handing us two photocopied sheets. "It appears he has no living relatives, but his estate is managed out of a private research library in South Carolina. I don't know how accurate this information is, though. The files looked pretty old. At least it should be a good place to start."

"Thank you very much. We really appreciate it," Mamoru said, standing up. He was overdoing it--whatever he had just done had put him in a good mood--but Karen didn't appear to notice.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask for me." This last was directed exclusively towards Mamoru, but I chose to answer.

"Thanks so much for the offer, but I don't think we need to bother you anymore. Goodbye!" And with a fake smile painfully plastered on my face, I opened the door, shoved Mamoru through and closed it behind me.

---------------------

Mamoru and I lay on the Jefferson building lawn, eating pizza and drinking milkshakes. It was a beautiful fall day, probably one of the last of the season, with red-gold leaves still on the trees and a balmy breeze blowing my hair away from my face.

"So, what are we going to do now?" I asked, leaning on Mamoru's shoulder.

"Aren't you supposed to be the one in charge?"

"I thought it was a joint effort. Besides, you still haven't told me what you were doing back there. Just spill it, will you?"

"Spill what?" he asked.

I sighed. I kept forgetting that some colloquialisms translated literally. "I mean, why don't you tell me what you found out? I mean, you don't _have_ to tell me if you don't want too. I could just stay here, and let you take the metro back home all by yourself..."

"You wouldn't."

"You bet I would."

"Fine, fine," he said, laughing a little. "So, I realized that she said she was going to find out some information about his estate, right? Well, I assumed that the information on his estate would be kept with the rest of his collection. So, I followed her."

"Wait, Mamoru," I said, "how did you follow her? She left at least thirty seconds before you did."

"I have my ways. As I was saying, I followed her and found out where his collection was." He smiled and leaned back against a tree.

"Um...Mamoru, why does it matter if we know where Herman's collection is?"

"How are we supposed to look through it, otherwise?"

"That's what I was asking you. We have to call his estate or something..."

Mamoru looked incredulous. After a moment, he started laughing. He laughed until his eyes streamed, while I ground my teeth.

Eventually, he calmed down. "You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" he said.

"No. I'm just standing here because I like it when you laugh at me."

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to have to break into the Library."

---------------------

"You're completely insane," I said for the fifth time that evening.

"So you've told me," he said. We walked into my apartment and paused while he removed his shoes out of sheer habit. "And you know I'm not. It's the only way to find the journals we need. Anything else will take too long, and you know as well as I do how little time we have, Serena."

"Yes, yes, I know that, but you don't understand my world at all! It is impossible, downright impossible to break into a building as heavily-fortified as the Library of Congress. Remember those weapons I told you about? Well, they're called guns and that's just one of the things that would kill us if we even attempted to break in!" I was pacing the floor of the living room, my voice steadily rising in pitch. "I don't mind getting into dangerous situations, hell, this entire fucking adventure has been one dangerous situation. But you've almost died once when I could have stopped it, and I'm not about to let you do something I _know_ will get you killed, and...and..." I trailed off, abruptly sitting down on the couch. To my dismay, I found myself on the verge of tears, and I bit my tongue. Of course, it was possible that Mamoru would just get arrested, but I knew that he wouldn't go without a fight, and fighting with police is an easy way to kill yourself.

Mamoru sat down next to me. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right, I don't know your world that well. We'll just have to think of something else, I guess."

I nodded. I knew that if I opened my mouth I would start crying. Sensing this, Mamoru simply held me, while I tried to purge my mind of thoughts of his death. It didn't entirely work.

---------------------

Later that night Mamoru left, promising to come back soon. He didn't tell me where he was going, and I didn't really want to know. I trusted him enough not to go to Library of Congress alone. Five minutes after he had left, however, he burst in through the front door, his face wearing the tough, determined expression more appropriate to our adventures in his world than anything that had happened here. He closed the door. His eyes raked over my body, as though he were making sure that I was okay. I opened my mouth to ask him what had happened, but he brushed past me, forgetting to take off his shoes. Two minutes later he returned, looking considerably relieved.

"No one's here," he said.

"Of course not. Why would there be? Mamoru, what's going on?"

"They haven't been here yet, but Serena, I think we have to leave soon. It's getting dangerous...if they catch us, it's all over."

"If who catches us? What the hell happened?"

"Here, come with me. I'm pretty sure they've left."

Suddenly frightened, I followed Mamoru across the street to Petunia's house. The lock was broken and it reeked of peppermint. Mamoru pushed open the door.

Petunia's house had been trashed. All of her beautiful treasures had been upended and broken apart, her carpets slashed. We walked slowly into the library, and I had a hard time comprehending a mind that could allow such destruction of such lovely, cared-for things. Carpets and statues were one thing, but books were sacred. Each one of these books had been looked at and tossed aside. A strange suspicion lodged itself in my stomach and I raced upstairs. The room with the scrolls had been ransacked, so systematically demolished that I found myself shaking. They had been looking for Petunia's spell-book. Of course, they hadn't found it. It was still safely across the street in my bedroom.

"But why?" I asked. "Why would they even bother looking for the book? Herman must know all of the information in it by now. Why would he do this?"

Mamoru wrapped his arms around my waist. "Because he's afraid of what may happen if you gain that much knowledge. He knows you would become that much more of a threat."

"We have some time, still," I said, "he doesn't know where we are."

"For now," Mamoru said, and led me back down the stairs.

Not only was time running out for Umeru, it appeared that we were in immediate danger as well. Peppermint engulfed the house, and I wondered that the neighbors hadn't complained yet. I had felt the magical barriers that Petunia protected her house with; it must have taken a considerable amount of magic for Herman to break them. Mamoru and I walked out of the library silently and stood in the foyer. He was about to speak when I saw something lying on the floor in a shredded heap. I had missed it at first, but seeing something that I had loved so much destroyed in such a calculated, malignant manner made me ball my fists in anger. Tears stung my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, still looking at the shredded canvas of his painting. I heard him walk up behind me. "It was...your mother, wasn't it? The picture."

"I painted it a year before she died. I gave it to the Lady after...I couldn't really bear to look at it."

I slammed my fist into the ground with such force that Mamoru flinched. "I'll never forgive them for this," I said. Mamoru knelt behind me, putting his hands tentatively on my tensed back.

"It's okay, Serena. It's only an...object, a painting."

"But, your mother..."

"I lost that painting a long time ago, but I can't forget her so easily."

I paused and took a deep breath. "Let's go, Mamoru. They might come back and, besides, we have a job to do."

"What's that?" he asked, smiling. Of course he already knew. He always did.

"We're going perform the first successful break-in of the Library of Congress."

---------------------

Easier said than done, as the cliché goes. Mamoru insisted on camping out by the door, and since he wouldn't go to sleep, I dragged Petunia's tome out into the living room and sat with him. I had to admit that his watchful presence made me feel safer. I could not sleep easily knowing that Herman or Ushiro with Herman's magic was loose in our world. I opened Petunia's book, searching for something that would help us break into the Library. While we didn't have a prayer of getting in under our own steam, it might just be barely possible with judicious use of magic.

Of the four overall headings, "Psychic Control" seemed the most promising. The first part described how to survive without food for long periods of time, followed by a part about controlling emotions and thoughts that sounded like something out of a self-help book. The next part appeared to have what I was looking for, though.

"Controlling other's thoughts," I read aloud, largely for Mamoru's benefit. He was looking bored. "Is a very dangerous proposition even to the most adept of magic users. This often strays too deeply into the darker arts--commonly referred to as black magic--and the repercussions are often cosmic in scale. Only the direst circumstances should require one to directly control other people's thoughts. The consequences of using black magic go much farther than a mere unpleasant death.

"--A mere unpleasant death?" I interrupted myself. Shaking my head, I continued.

"Therefore, this book will not explain the exact methods of this dark art, as we hope such tactics will someday be gone forever. Far safer, and generally more reliable methods of psychic control are ones that involve mental suggestion. Mental suggestion is a type of magic that works on weak-minded people when the caster directs his object to do something that naturally follows his last action. This type is highly useful for breaking and entering, smuggling and other such underhanded activities. The most common type of psychic control is most usefully applied to mental invisibility. 'Real' invisibility requires a huge expenditure of magic that is often not worth the time, skill, effort or danger. Mental invisibility, as all types of safe psychic control, requires only a small amount of magic and does virtually the same thing. With the aid of a judicious amount of magic, the caster suggests that he is not worth noticing. The compilers suggest repetition, to ensure reliability, but this technique will not work against those specifically warned against it or those of generally strong will." I skimmed the rest of the pages, but did not come up with anything else of use.

"I guess that's it," I said finally, feeling even more nervous than when we had begun. "I hope this will be enough."

Mamoru's expression was grim. "It will have to be, won't it?"

---------------------

It was raining when we left, the kind of cold, desultory rain that can go on for days and infect the entire city with a strange, listless melancholy. It was a cold fall night to begin with, and in my haste I had forgotten a coat. As we walked to the metro station, I shivered uncontrollably in my thin sweater, but Mamoru seemed impervious to the cold. For the tenth time in so many minutes I considered what we were about to do and wondered if I was crazy. I hoped that we would actually be able to find something useful about the seventh moon in Herman's collection. Magic or no magic, breaking into the Library of Congress was not one of the world's most intelligent ideas. And here I was, I thought with a half smile. My snort of laughter turned into a sneeze--cold weather always made my nose run.

"Are you okay?" Mamoru asked.

"Yes," I said through chattering teeth.

"Here," Mamoru said, handing me his jacket. Underneath it, though, he was only wearing a short sleeve shirt, and I didn't want him to freeze. I just pushed it back towards him.

"You're cold," he said, handing it to me again.

"But you're not wearing anything. I'll be okay."

At this Mamoru stopped walking and turned to face me, an oddly gentle smile on his face. He put his hand on my shoulder and I shivered far more violently than a mere chill warranted.

"It's all right," he said softly, "I'm not cold. Weather resistance was part of my training at the monastery. But, Serena," and as he said my name there was something in his deep eyes that made breathing almost impossible, "even if I were cold, it wouldn't matter."

My eyes remained open as if they had been lacquered in place, and I only began to blink again when I felt pinpricks of rain on them. With an unsteady hand I took the coat, and put it on. The rest of the ride to the Library was uneventful, probably because I couldn't seem to speak. The walk from the metro to the library is unfortunately short. I had no plan to speak of, but since Mamoru seemed to trust my abilities entirely, I hadn't yet found the heart to relate this fact to him.

"Um...Mamoru?" I said.

"Hmm?" His body was tensed as if he was expecting to fight.

"I...um...I don't think--" I stopped abruptly when I heard voices directly in front of us. For a panicked moment I thought that we had been spotted, but I realized that we were overhearing a conversation and they couldn't see us because we were concealed behind a large potted bush. Mamoru and I fell silent and peered through the leaves. To my surprise, I recognized one of the people immediately: Julie the librarian was arguing with a female security guard.

"Listen, I'm very sorry about this, but I left my briefcase in there and I absolutely have to go back in and get it!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am , but I'm not allowed to let anyone in after closing."

"I work here! See," she said, pulling out her wallet and showing her librarian ID.

"Well, I still don't think I should let you in..." she said. I could see her wavering a little.

"You really don't understand how important this is. I have extremely important papers in there that I have to mail out before tomorrow morning."

"But, ma'am, you know I wouldn't want to get in trouble or anything..."

Generally I get ideas gradually. I start with a kernel, a snatch of a conversation or a passing thought, and I will develop and nurture it into a full-blown plan. Sometimes, however, ideas simply come to me, fully formed and ready for execution. Thankfully, this was one of those times. As I stared at the scene before me, my course of action seemed so simple I could have kissed both women's feet. Feeling far more confident than I had since we discovered Petunia's ransacked house, I drew a small amount of power. The security guard was obviously unsure; all I had to do was push her over the edge.

"...they get really mad if you go against protocol..." the woman was saying.

"It's okay," I thought, "no one will know if you just help her out. Just open the door, and nothing will happen." Although I had not quite believed it would do anything, the security guard shook her head a little, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"All right, I'll take you in."

Mamoru grinned at me, although there was no way he could have known I had anything to do with it.

"Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, we can go through the security entrance."

I let Mamoru take the lead as we followed the two women around the building, back down the stairs to a small door. She took out her security card and swiped it on the side, and after the light turned green typed in a pass code. I couldn't see what the code was from where I stood, but it didn't matter. As soon as the door swung open I grabbed Mamoru and quickly performed that small bit of magic that I had done once before in the dungeon long before I had known what I was doing. Repeating "don't notice us," like a mantra, we slipped in after Julie just before the security guard closed the door behind her. My brain felt fuzzy, but I held onto Mamoru tightly as we followed the two down the hall. Thankfully, Julie worked in the special collections division, so they led us practically straight to where we needed to be. Just before they left, Julie, bag in hand, sniffed the air curiously.

"Do you smell something?" she asked the security guard.

The woman sniffed, and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do, but I don't know what..."

"It smells like...chocolate."

My hands clenched at my sides and my stomach tightened.

After a moment the security guard shrugged her shoulders. "Someone must have been eating the stuff before they left. Come on, let's go." I only managed to take a full breath after I heard their retreating footsteps fade down the hall. I had completely forgotten about my trace scent!

Mamoru and I stood alone in the hallway behind the anteroom of the special collections office. I released the invisibility spell, enjoying the return of my sensations.

Mamoru looked impressed. "That was fantastic, Serena. And here I thought you didn't even have a plan."

My smile froze midway on my face.

"You really didn't have a plan, did you?

"Well, obviously I did," I said, "We're here, aren't we? And besides, I didn't hear you helping out any."

"Oh, I had a plan."

"What?"

"If it came to that, I was just going to break the door down."

---------------------

Mamoru led us unerringly towards Herman's collection. The door he indicated looked exactly like every other one in the dimly lit hallway, but he seemed sure of himself. The door, of course, was locked.

"Well, I suppose I could explode the lock like I did back at Petunia's--"

Mamoru shot me a look of horror. "I was thinking of something a little less life-threatening."

"So how do you propose we do it then?"

"Do you have a piece of metal? Long and thin, and something with a hook?"

"You're going to pick the lock?" I said. "They can't possibly have locks this sophisticated on your world."

"At least I'm not planning on blowing it up. Do you have any metal?"

"Why on earth would I carry around--" I stopped, remembering that I actually did have something that could fit that description. I pulled the bobby pins out of my hair and handed them to him. "Here," I said. Without the metal support, my hair fell sloppily around my face and in my eyes. Mamoru took the pins, bent them out of shape and knelt in front of the door. After perhaps two minutes of work with the lock, I heard something catch inside, and the doorknob turned easily.

"But, how did you..." I really hadn't thought he would be able to do it.

"I guess whoever runs this library doesn't care much who gets into Herman's stuff."

---------------------

The room housed three collections other than Herman's. Mamoru looked at the maps while I took the journals. A quick glance at the dates told me that they were all written between 1945 and 1950. I felt some dread settle in my stomach; if I had to read all ten of these through it would take me a week, at least. I looked over to where Mamoru was studying over the maps. From over here, the land masses didn't look like any continents I was aware of.

"What are those maps of?" I asked.

"My world, it seems," he said. "Although no maps I've ever seen go beyond the Qeng empire. I think that he has somehow mapped the whole world." His voice was incredulous. "I had no idea my world was so large. Look at all of these places!" I saw a glint of something in his eyes--of excitement, perhaps, but mostly of wanderlust. As he looked at the maps I could see his desire to travel everywhere, to explore the places that these maps described. And strangely enough, I found that I wanted to go with him. If we survived this, I promised myself, we would have those adventures together. For the rest of our lives, perhaps. We would strike out on uncharted territory, with only each other, and that would be enough. Mamoru glanced at me and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking.

I began to skim the journals, yawning over pages and pages filled with the mundane details of what appeared to be a long and uncharacteristic stint in this world. Apparently, Herman had taken his leave of the Emperor so that he could find some girl that Petunia was hiding. He never mentioned the girl's name--perhaps he didn't even know it--but he was searching for her because she was an indigenous magic user, one of those Petunia had told me about. Not an Aranu, like the Princess, but a Kanare. He was obsessed with finding her, terrified of the Kanare's power, but coveting it as well. It amazed me that he was so candid about the existence of magic and other worlds, but perhaps he hadn't expected other people to read his journals. Even if someone did, it was a pretty safe bet that they wouldn't believe him anyway. I skimmed page after page, but nowhere did I see any mention of the seventh moon. This baffled me, since the Kanare's power was supposedly intimately tied to the cycles of the moons. After nearly an hour, while skimming through the entries during the first few months of 1948, I found his only reference to the seventh moon.

"Mamoru!" I said, moving the rest of the journals away from my place on the floor.

He grunted absently, still absorbed in the maps. I jogged his elbow.

"I found something," I said.

"Read it."

"January 5, 1948-- That meddling sister of mine has gotten herself into a huge mess this time. I told her that this would happen if she kept up such habits, but she never listened to me even when we were on speaking terms. I really can't say I know exactly what happened, but as far as I can tell, Petunia burned down half of the Georgetown Public Library. If I know Petunia, she probably ignored the warnings and botched a transportation spell. Regardless of the fact that it was illegal--I think we both have forgotten about the existence of rules in this world--anyone with four hundred years of magical experience ought to know that transport of books causes conflagration.

Regardless, this particularly fruitful bit of Petunia's incompetence might make things easier for me. I know she wants to know how close I am to finding the girl, and what I know about the seventh moon. I've been working on a treatise on the subject--I'm contemplating submitting it to the consortium for review. After nearly seventy years of work, I deserve some recognition. My only fear is what Petunia would do if she knew what I had learned about it. Could she take that final step and discover how to harness its power? No, I must consider this a little longer--I cannot let a desire for professional recognition ruin my plans."

I stopped. "There's nothing else," I said. "This treatise of his, about the seventh moon... I guess Petunia doesn't even know it exists."

Mamoru shrugged and went back to the maps. The next mention of the seventh moon was in an entry dated two weeks later.

"January 16, 1948," I read, "I'm contemplating establishing a private library, and donating these journals to the Library of Congress. It was folly for me to consider submitting my work to the consortium--the knowledge it contains cannot fall into my sister's hands. I know that she longs to destroy me. She will never let me realize my power. The book, and all the knowledge it contains, I will hide in plain sight in the library, protected by magic. One day I will discover how to use the seventh moon, and then even Petunia will bow to me."

Mamoru and I stared at each other. "Do you...do you think he's found it?" I asked. "Do you think he knows how to use it?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I think that's why he wants the Princess so badly, because he still doesn't know."

"And the book?"

"We'll go to his library and hope it's still there. You have the address, right?"

I nodded and then froze when I heard the sound of footsteps moving cautiously down the hallway outside. I glanced at the door and realized that I had left it ajar. I wondered what security would do when they found us here, buried knee-deep in a foreign collection that they would probably accuse us of stealing. Then the door opened, and I almost wished that someone were here to arrest us.

It wasn't a security guard. It was one of Ushiro's men.

---------------------

His identity was obvious, but not for any outward reason. He was dressed in modern clothes and carried what looked to be a very real gun. But then, there was the faint scent of peppermint, and the immediate recognition that lit his face when he saw us both, Mamoru leaning against the bookshelf and me still seated on the floor. I felt helpless. I had managed to get us past the menace of the guards, but I did not know what to do against a man with a gun, soon to be joined by several other men with guns.

He aimed it at Mamoru's face, and I was shocked at how expertly he handled it. When had Herman taught his men the use of firearms? Mamoru must have recognized the weapon from my descriptions, because he remained where he was. The man spoke and it took me a second to realize that he wasn't speaking English. After a brief struggle, Mamoru responded in the same language, and it maddened me that I couldn't understand what they were saying. I heard more footsteps in the hallway and apparently so did our assailant, because he called out to them over his shoulder. In that moment of inattention, Mamoru ran forward and tried to take the gun from his hands. I screamed for him to stop--I heard the footsteps getting closer--but he either didn't hear me or ignored me. Mamoru was the better fighter and he could easily have won, so I stared for a moment in confused shock when he let himself get pushed to the floor. Then I saw his reason: another step in that direction and they would have destroyed the maps.

Idiot. The man's gun was trained at Mamoru's chest. After a brief hesitation he slowly tightened his finger on the trigger.

I have never moved so fast in my life. I dove towards Mamoru, and knocked all the breath out of my body with the force of our impact. My desperate move had accomplished what it had to, though. The bullet had missed, although the painful stinging on my thigh told me I had been grazed.

The alarm went off, accompanied by shouts and the pounding steps of people racing down the hall. Our assailant's gun was still pointed at us, but it wavered when he realized that his friends probably weren't going to back him up.

_He's going to kill us, kill us and run._ In that second, I made my decision. Even so, only the reassuring feel of Mamoru beneath my body gave me the will to go through with it. I drew power and shoved it into the gun, just as the bullet would have left the chamber.

It exploded backwards, hitting the man in the face and splattering blood everywhere. I heard heavier footsteps heading down the hall, shouting at the noise. Police officers, I thought. We had to leave, and with our only exit blocked, magic was the only way out. I hadn't tried to teleport within a world, but I thought that perhaps if had an exact mental picture of where I wanted to travel it may work.

Mamoru stood up and ran to gather the maps. Painfully aware of the thud of footsteps outside the door, I grabbed him and performed an even faster teleportation than the one I had executed back at Petunia's idyll. I had the momentary sensation of an overpowering scent of chocolate before we entered the void. Since I had given absolutely no heed to where we landed, we were lucky that I managed the kitchen floor.

---------------------

We lay there silently for several moments, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. I was shivering uncontrollably, vaguely aware but somehow detached from the growing pain in my thigh. I had just killed someone.

"Serena?" Mamoru said hoarsely, sitting up.

I didn't answer. Tears seeped out of the sides of my eyes.

He had blood on his shirt and for a panicked moment I thought that it was his. "Serena?" he said again, this time leaning over my shivering form. I closed my eyes, but when I did I kept seeing the man's face the moment before the gun exploded. The tears came harder.

I relaxed slightly when Mamoru reached over and held me tightly to his chest, and I clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably. I had just killed a man, yes. But he had almost killed Mamoru.

"I'm sorry," he whispered finally, after my sobs had died down. I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. They were so sad that I hugged him again.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"It was all my fault. I wanted those maps so badly that I put us both in danger. Especially you...you almost were killed..."

"I'm fine," I said, not so sure of that myself. "And besides, we need the maps, don't we?"

"We do?"

"Of course," my tone was light, but it came with effort. "To go on rollicking adventures together, exploring your world."

I felt his smile, and his arms tightened around my waist. "Thank you," he said finally.

"For what?"

"For understanding."

I looked into his face and smiled a little. Perhaps it didn't feel so unnatural. "Don't worry, Mamoru," I said, "I have practice." I kissed him. I wanted more, but he was gentle with me, drawing away too quickly.

"I...I don't know if this will help at all," he said softly, "but I felt like this my first time, too."

"Your first time?"

"The first time I killed."

---------------------

I lay against his chest for a while longer, and would have stayed there indefinitely had Mamoru not insisted I stand up. It was at that point I remembered the bullet wound. The bloodstain was easily visible on my khaki's, and I heard Mamoru's sharp intake of breath when he realized that the blood was my own.

"When did that..."

"I'm all right, it's just a graze. When I pushed you out of the way."

Mamoru nodded. Silently he picked me up, and while in other circumstances I might have been inclined to protest, it was all I could do to stop the tears behind my eyes. He put me down on the kitchen counter by the sink. I wanted to tell him not to worry, not to blame himself for any danger that I might have been in, but I knew he wouldn't listen. He took my pants off gently, and I tried not to wince as he pulled off the dried fabric. As I suspected, the furrow on my right thigh was fairly shallow.

"Here, use this," I said, handing him gauze from the first aid kit that I kept under the sink. I tried to spare him as much as I could, but it did hurt, and I couldn't help from wincing every now and then. Despite everything, his tenderness made my entire body ache with something so strange I couldn't name it. After he finished he picked me up again and carried me to the bed.

"Go to sleep, Serena," he said, brushing the hair away from my face.

I opened my mouth to respond, but there was nothing I could say.

---------------------

I slept late the next morning. When I awoke I wondered if the events of the night before had been a dream, but the mild throbbing of my thigh sufficiently proved that it had been all too real. I limped to the kitchen, and then paused in the doorway watching Mamoru with some amusement. Apparently, the phone was no longer such a mystery to him, because spread on the counter was food from what looked like every delivery place within a ten block radius.

"What are you doing?" I asked, unable to keep the laughter from my voice.

He looked up from an intense engagement with some waffles, and smiled sheepishly. "I thought you might be hungry?"

---------------------

An hour later, I sat on the couch in the living room and wondered how much weight I had just gained. Mamoru lay beside me, a very satisfied smile on his face.

The TV was on, but I wasn't inclined to watch another Jerry Springer rerun, so I grabbed the remote and changed the channel. About three seconds later I wished that I hadn't, but by then it was too late.

"The so-called "chocolate murderers" mysteriously escaped tight security and police custody a little over an hour ago, and have yet to be apprehended. Three men were arrested in the Library of Congress late last night after several shots were heard in a restricted portion of the building. An unidentified man was found dead in a room housing several limited access special collections. When police found him, the room was filled with the overwhelming smell of chocolate, which police believe is how the murderers mark their kills. Although taken into custody shortly after police arrived, the three men have just escaped, and are believed to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who has information regarding these men's capture, or knowledge of their whereabouts, please call your local police station immediately. Anyone who encounters the unexpected smell of chocolate is advised to clear the area immediately and seek help."

My jaw sagged a little more as the screen changed to show pictures of the men. The slightly fierce expression and strangely narrow eyes would have been sufficient, but the long, ridged scar across his neck made me quite sure it was Ushiro.

---------------------

"Why couldn't it have been the Peppermint Murders?" I said, a little shakily, after I turned off the television.

"The smell of your last spell must have overpowered the room." His expression was intense, like it always was when we encountered a large problem. Soon, I knew, he would come up with a plan, which was good because I felt conspicuously out of my depth. At least Ushiro and his men had been so readily available to take the blame for the murder. Eventually, however, someone would remember the two people who wanted to see that particular collection. They would also realize that some of it was missing, I thought, glancing at the blood-splattered maps that littered the coffee table.

"We have to leave," Mamoru said.

"Leave?" I repeated, dumbly. I didn't seem to be thinking properly.

"We have to find the Kojin's book quickly, before Ushiro can get to it, you understand? It's a race now. They probably already have a head start on us. The Kojin-- Herman sent them to stop us from getting the book, and that means we have to do all in our power to get it."

"All right," I said. "Where is his estate? We must have that address somewhere." I looked around the living room and found it, eventually, under the maps on the coffee table. I muttered to myself as I scanned the sheet, looking for the pertinent information. "1416 Port Royal, South Carolina," I read. "South Carolina? What a strange state to hide a book in. We're heading south, I guess." I paused, thinking.

"All right," I said finally. "We could take the train, but I think that would be too risky. Ushiro could easily have people monitoring the trains to South Carolina, and I really don't think he'll have a problem sabotaging an entire train just to get rid of us."

"What's a train?"

"Well...um...they're these big, long tube thingies that travel on tracks and stop every two seconds and serve very bad food. Like the metro, but longer."

Mamoru stared at me for a second and shook his head. "I won't even ask."

"I think we should take Mina's car and drive there. It's not that far, maybe two days' worth of driving, and if we're lucky Ushiro will still be looking for us here. I don't think he'll expect us to drive down. And if he does chase us, it's easier to get away."

"So, you mean we're going to drive one of those other noisy carriages?"

It occurred to me, belatedly, that Mamoru had yet to ride in a car. "Um...yes?"

"It should be fun," he said.

Mamoru insisted on taking the maps with us, but I was nervous about keeping such stolen merchandise out in the open. We compromised by keeping them in the trunk underneath the rest of our luggage.

I took a shower, and for once Mamoru did not insist that he join me. Afterwards, I packed for both of us, including a giant road map of the East coast. I also brought Petunia's spell-book; I planned to look up teleporting when I had the chance. Trying to account for everything, I combed the kitchen for non-perishable food items. While we could, of course, stop to eat, I felt as though that would be too dangerous. Better to stop only when we had to, and eat as much as we could on the road, I thought. I turned to put a box of marshmallow cereal into my bag, and almost jumped when I saw Mamoru standing in the doorway.

"You ready?" I said. He nodded, staring at me intently.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You," he said. My heart rate jumped. Then he shook his head. "Never mind, let's go."

I grabbed Mina's keys from the hook in the kitchen, and let Mamoru carry the bags outside. It was a beautiful day out, a true Indian summer, so I was content to leave the hood down. I had always wanted to drive a convertible, anyway. He put our stuff in the back seat while I slipped a note for Mrs. Aiken under her door along with a check for next month's rent, in case Mina hadn't gotten back by that time.

"Well, let's go," I said, and turned the ignition.

---------------------

I had never been comfortable with the thought of a million cars all traveling at insane speeds down a stretch of asphalt, but Mamoru, at least, seemed to enjoy himself. I would have talked to him, but for at least the first hour I was too nervous to change the radio station, let alone carry on a conversation.

After about two hours, Mamoru turned to me. "Hey, Serena," he said over the wind.

"Why don't you stop? Do they have towns on this road? Perhaps we can eat something. I've seen those large pictures on the poles around, maybe we can find food underneath?"

"You mean the billboards?" I asked. "They're just advertising for food, you have to get it somewhere else. Maybe we can go to a rest stop or something." As I said it, I saw signs advertising one just ahead and turned into the exit.

---------------------

The rest stop was huge, with a cafeteria-style food court that held representatives from what looked like every major fast food chain in America. Mamoru satisfied himself with pizza while I visited McDonalds. We sat down at an empty table near the door. I had rarely seen a rest stop so crowded. I would have thought most people had better places to eat at four o'clock in the afternoon.

We had not been sitting for very long when a girl walked up to us. She couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen, but her tight black pants, green halter-top and large silver hoops were meant for someone a lot older. She held a soda in one hand, and while I could not imagine why, she was making a beeline for our table. Much to my surprise and amusement, she pulled up a chair and sat down as though she belonged there.

"Um...hello?" I said as she took a long sip of her soda.

She briefly nodded at me, and then turned towards Mamoru, flipping her brown ponytail over one shoulder. Mamoru regarded her curiously, but he continued to eat his pizza.

"My name is Lita," she said, widening her forest green eyes. She had a light country accent. Mamoru kept eating. I just stared. Lita, apparently undaunted by this frosty reception, drank more of her soda before continuing. "I saw you two from across the room, and I thought: 'they look like nice, caring souls.'" She reached across the table and grabbed Mamoru's hand. He made no move to remove it.

"You see," she said, "I really need some help. I'm..." she leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "I'm running away. I was hitching a ride with a truck driver, but he was getting a little too familiar, so I figured I could find some nice people here. That's why I need you."

"Hey, Lita," I said, "I would love to help you, but we really can't take anyone else right now. Why don't you just go back home? Believe me, it's not that safe for runaways, especially not...how old are you, anyway? Sixteen? Seventeen?"

She looked directly at me, as if I had challenged her. "I'm twenty one," she said coldly. I rolled my eyes.

"Give me some credit. Why would a twenty one year old run away from home? Besides, you look younger. If you want to come with us, you at least have to tell the truth."

She sighed. "Fine, I'm seventeen. Now can you take me?"

"There are plenty of other people in this rest stop. Ask one of them. Besides, you don't even know where we're going!"

"Where are you going?"

"South Carolina."

"That's fine," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "So long as it's away from here."

"We're not taking you!" I said, trying to keep my voice from rising to a shout.

She turned to look at Mamoru imploringly. "You'll take me, won't you? You won't let her be this mean, will you?"

Mamoru tried to remove his hands from her grip, but she held on tighter. "Um...Serena," he said, sounding a little amused, "why can't we just take her?"

"What are you talking about?" I said in what I hoped was a low voice. Lita looked on, fascinated. "In case those three inches of cleavage has made you forget, we are running away from several men whose only intent is to kill us. They will have no compunction about killing anyone else who is with us, including seventeen year old runaways who like wearing skimpy clothing."

Mamoru looked at me a little sheepishly, but Lita interrupted before he could respond.

"Wait, wait, you mean you guys are being chased by some people? Who? Is it really dangerous, like in the movies? You have to let me come with you."

I gave her an incredulous look, disregarding the fact that this probably would have been my reaction three months ago, let alone five years. "Do you _want_ to get killed? You're in too much danger just sitting with us right now." Well, perhaps that was an exaggeration, I thought, but it would get its point across.

"I can fight!" she said, looking back and forth between Mamoru and I. "I know how to use a gun...if you have a gun, that is. I don't have one with me."

"No, we don't have a gun," I said firmly, "so why don't you just leave us alone?"

"You don't have a gun?" she asked. "How do you expect to defend yourselves, then?"

"We have other methods," Mamoru said, but his words only seemed to increase her curiosity.

"Like what?" she asked.

I had opened my mouth to respond when an apparition in the far entrance made my words die in my throat. Mamoru must have seen my expression change because he gripped my hand and turned towards the door. Lita, catching the mood, turned as well.

"Is that them?" she asked breathlessly, pointing to the three figures who had just walked in.

"They," I said.

"What are we going to do?" Lita asked.

"There is no 'we' about this, Lita. You are going to stand up, casually, and walk straight for the bathroom, and stay there for at least half an hour. You hear me?" My tone was urgent, but she barely acknowledged me.

"There's no way I'm leaving an opportunity like this," she said, "I've wanted adventure all my life, and damned if I'm going to give it up now." Mamoru quickly gave me a smiling, rueful expression, and I suddenly realized how stupid and stubborn I must have sounded to him when he first met me. Ushiro and his two men were walking further in the room, and no one but us seemed to take any notice of them. What were we supposed to do? I couldn't teleport because I didn't have enough of a fix on the parking lot, and teleporting back to the house would just be a disaster. We didn't have that time to spare.

"They're coming closer," she said quietly, still staring at the approaching men.

I felt Mamoru tense, and I realized that if all else failed, he had every intention of trying something physical. "Don't you dare," I whispered.

"If it comes to that," he said.

Before I could think of a solution, a look of triumph dawned on Lita's face. Seconds before we would have been in full and easy view of the men, Lita stood up and hollered at the top of her not-inconsiderable voice: "It's the chocolate murderers! Oh my god, the chocolate murderers!"

The pandemonium was almost instantaneous. Screaming people clogged the doorways or cowered under cafeteria tables, while a few security guards who were on duty confronted the men. In a moment of brilliance, I called on a very large amount of power for absolutely no purpose besides creating the overpowering smell of chocolate. As I had expected, that increased people's panic. The security guards, now backed up by police, seemed to have effectively restrained Ushiro and the others.

We exited with the rest of the crowd and made a beeline straight for the car. Lita ran after us, and I didn't even bother to object when she jumped in the back seat. We didn't exactly speed out of the parking lot, but no one seemed inclined to take notice of us during the fifteen minute back-up. Still, we were all dead silent until we made it onto the highway. I let the car hit eighty, breathing a heartfelt sigh of relief. Mamoru smiled a little, and reached for my hand. Behind us, Lita let out a holler and shook her head in the wind.

"That was close! Bet you're glad that I saved your asses back in there, huh? I can't believe that you're really being chased by _the_ chocolate murderers! That's so cool! You think they'll get away again?"

"Probably," I said. "Lita, thank you very much for helping us, but you have got to get out of this car. It's just not safe. The next rest stop we come to, I'll drop you off, and you can harass someone else--"

"Serena," Mamoru said, "we can't leave her now."

"I knew you would help me!" Lita said.

"Why the hell not?" I asked.

"Ushiro and his men saw her. They probably saw her leaving with us. If I know Ushiro, that's enough to put her on his blacklist, too. She's safer with us than she is alone."

I began to protest, but then realized that he was right. "Oh fine," I said, and removed my hand from his.

---------------------

"You know," Lita said an hour later, after we had calmed down a little, "I don't even know your names."

"I'm Serena," I said, "and your admirer over here is called Mamoru."

"Mamoru? That sounds foreign. Where are you from?"

"Someplace very far away," he said, and his tone made me smile despite myself. In the corner of my eye I saw him turn towards me, hesitantly, and then turn away again.

"Wow, you guys are really mysterious, aren't you? So, I suppose you're lovers, huh?"

"Yes," Mamoru said, startling me.

"Wow," Lita said, "Serena, you have got to be the luckiest woman in the world."

"Maybe not," Mamoru said, "but I might just be the luckiest man..."

I grinned. "So, Lita," I said, "why don't you tell us why you're running away."

"Oh, that." She sobered a little. "Well, my parents wanted me to marry this guy. See, I'm from this little hick town in Virginia, and I swear they haven't figured out it's past 1920, let alone the new millennium. We lived on this farm, but profits were sliding, and my parents wanted to merge with our neighbors' farm. Except, they decided that I had to marry their son. I mean, Billy Harris isn't a bad guy, I suppose, but he isn't very intelligent. His parents pulled him out of school in fifth grade. We were friends, but he didn't want to marry me, and I definitely didn't want to marry him. You think I want to spend my life popping out babies and cooking food on a farm that hasn't changed since the industrial revolution? No way! And that's what I told my parents, but they wouldn't listen to me. I wanted to go to college, but they wouldn't listen to that either. So, they planned the wedding. I went along with it at first because I was afraid of what they would do if I refused. I guess I didn't know what I would do if I left, so I stayed. And the wedding got closer and closer, and my mom made me a wedding dress, and I began to realize that I just couldn't go through with it. Well, actually it took me a while to realize it. The wedding...well, the wedding date is today."

"Today! When did you run away?" I asked.

"This morning. See, I was lying in my room, and it was about dawn, and no one was up yet. And I thought to myself: 'Lita, you know you can't do this. You have to get the hell out of here before anyone notices something.' See, I knew I was cut out for more than this. I wanted adventure, you know? I wanted a life! So, I folded up my mom's dress, wrote my family a note, and put on this outfit. I don't usually wear clothes like this, but they were the only normal clothes I had. They belonged to Billy's younger sister. I caught up with a trucker, and that's how I got here."

Her story made me wonder what I would have done in a similar situation. I admired her for doing it.

"You are aware that you are stuck with us, now, for better or for worse?"

"This whole running away thing has worked out way better than I had hoped."

"You're insane," I said, but if she was, then we all were.

---------------------

We stopped in North Carolina, I think, although it could have been southern Virginia. We stayed in a hotel in one of those depressing towns that simply exist for people to drive through. The hotel was nondescript, mid-range, and when we asked about rooms, they said they only had one free for the night. I didn't like it but signed the occupancy form anyway. I was too exhausted to search for another hotel with two rooms. The lady at the desk gave me the keys, and Mamoru and I went back outside to get Lita. We grabbed our stuff and carried it up the stairs, since the fine establishment did not have a working elevator. The room was clean, at least, and I could not have cared less about the lack of amenities. I dropped my bags and collapsed on the bed, sighing deeply.

"You can't be that tired," said Lita. She was popping the marshmallows into her mouth with one hand, and opening a jumbo chocolate bar with the other.

"Just wait till you're older," I said, wincing. Mamoru sat down next to me.

"Come on! You can't be more than twenty-two, twenty-three years old!"

"I'm twenty-two, I'll have you know," I said.

"Although her age can be deceiving, at times," Mamoru said, "sometimes she acts like she's eleven."

"Hey!" I waved my fist in his general direction. "Look at you! This mighty twenty-five year old is about as mature as my sixteen year old cousin."

"And how is that, exactly?" he asked.

"Your taste in women seems to focus on quantity, not quality."

"I resent that!" Lita said, smiling ruefully.

"Oh, it wasn't a slur about you, Lita. Just my sexually focused _friend_ over here."

"I'm just your friend now, am I?" Mamoru said, leaning over me and pinning me underneath him.

"Well, yes." I squirmed, but he held me firmly. "If you're going to lust after every other girl you see, Mamo-chan..."

"You know I wasn't doing that," he said.

Did I? Perhaps I was being paranoid, but...he stopped my thoughts with his mouth, wrapping his arms gently around my back. He ended the kiss a few seconds later, and I had to blink a few times before the room stopped swaying.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"Oh wow." Lita sighed, holding her heart for dramatic effect. "I'm glad I didn't marry Billy! I'm not going to settle for anything less than what you have."

But what did we have?

---------------------

Mamoru and I squished together on one bed while Lita slept on the other. Not like I minded squishing with Mamoru, of course. They fell asleep quickly, but although I was exhausted, I couldn't seem to drop off so easily. The knowledge that Lita was sleeping in the next bed filled me with self-doubt and an inexplicable jealousy. I knew intellectually that Mamoru had done nothing to indicate that he was at all interested in her, but I still didn't quite trust him. Or, that wasn't exactly right, I didn't quite trust myself. I suppose that I was really afraid of waking up one morning only to find that Mamoru had come to his senses, that he had left me and gone on to more beautiful, more intelligent and generally better women than I could ever hope to become. I couldn't imagine what had attracted him to me in the first place.

It was raining outside, a steady pounding of heavy rain on the roof accompanied by the crash of thunder. The ground shuddered at each impact, but Mamoru didn't stir. Carefully, I extricated myself from his arms and walked to the porch. I opened the sliding doors and stepped through, closing them behind me. A harsh wind slapped my face with sprays of icy water. My nightgown soaked through immediately, and I started shivering with the cold. I made no move to leave, however, preferring the abrasive attack of the elements to my circular thoughts back on the bed. Away from the safety and warmth of the room, the intensity of the storm was suddenly frightening. Perhaps if I could face this, I thought, I could stop being so jealous of every girl who admired Mamoru. The wind drove the rain into my face and eyes, but I still stared blindly at the haze of red and yellow neon signs.

I don't know how long I stood there, but my teeth were chattering uncontrollably when I heard the door open behind me. I whirled around and found myself face to face with Mamoru. He closed the door, and then took me by my shoulders, using his body to shield me a little from the rain.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking," I said, forcing it out between my teeth.

"You're going to get sick. It's really cold out here."

Thunder shook the ground, but I resisted the urge to run into his arms.

"What's wrong, Serena?"

"You!" I said, balling my hands into fists. "I never know about you! Why are you with me? What possible reason do you have to stay with me? You could have anyone...anyone at all..." I turned away, surprised by the tears I felt coursing down my cheeks.

He held my hands and drew me as close to him as I would allow. "Please...don't do this to yourself. I hate seeing you do this to yourself."

"Answer my question!"

"Serena," he said helplessly, "I'm with you because I want to be. Because I can't imagine myself with anyone else. I don't _want_ anyone else." Overwhelmed, I let him hold me. I breathed the scent of him deeply until I was heady with it, like a drug.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Sorry for doubting him, sorry for even now wondering what possible appeal I could have.

"So am I," he said, but I didn't know why. A particularly vicious wind ripped right through my thin, wet nightgown. "You're still shivering," he said. He picked me up and carried me to the bathroom, setting me gently down on the counter. I peeled off my wet clothes and dried myself off with a towel.

"You're wet too," I said.

Looking down as if he had just remembered, he took off his pants, leaving me with the shock and admiration I always felt when viewing his naked body. He smiled at me a little, and then went into the room to fetch my bag. He handed me one of my large tee shirts while he put on a pair of his new boxers.

"Are you okay, now?" he asked after I had fumbled my way inside the tee shirt. I nodded. I got off the counter myself, but swayed unsteadily once I stood up, and Mamoru caught me before I fell.

"It's okay," I said, "I'm just tired."

But he carried me silently back to the bed before climbing in beside me. He held me until I stopped shivering, and I began to fall asleep.

"Thank you," I said.

"I love it when you smile," he said softly.

---------------------

We woke up early the next morning. We took turns with the shower before getting dressed. Lita borrowed some of my clothes. Much to my chagrin, they fit her perfectly although she was several inches taller than me and far more heavily endowed. Not all my clothes were baggy, but I had packed for comfort, not style.

Mamoru was being particularly demonstrative that morning, much to my enjoyment. Lita sighed dramatically several times, but otherwise refrained from comment. About an hour after waking up, we climbed down the stairs. I checked out while Mamoru and Lita went out to the car, paying cash in case Ushiro had a trace on my credit card. Mamoru and Lita were talking to each other on the side of the car.

"Lita says that she knows how to drive," Mamoru said once I walked up to them.

"Well, that's nice," I said. "But why--"

"He says you need to take a break," she said.

"I need a...I do _not_ need a break! I assure you," I said. "I'm a big girl, Mamoru. I can take care of myself."

"I'm just worried, that's all. Why drive if you don't have to?" Unspoken were the events of last night. He doubted that I had fully recovered from that episode.

"Because I want to, maybe?" I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught it easily.

"You're beautiful," he said, smiling.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I said, even angrier than before.

"Go Serena!" Lita shouted from behind.

Mamoru looked between the both of us, released my hand and started laughing. "All right, I know when I've lost. Lita, give her the keys."

---------------------

About three hours later I was seriously wondering if Mamoru had been right after all. The autumn air blowing through the open convertible was making me shiver and my teeth chatter. I tried to hide it, but I could see Mamoru's worried glances. I kept my eyes doggedly ahead, wondering when I could find an excuse to stop so I could fall asleep. Lita saved me from having to admit it, thankfully.

"Serena," she said, "do you want to switch now?"

For a moment I was tempted to refuse, but common sense prevailed. "That's fine," I said. "Let's stop and find some food, and then you can drive."

I wondered if she knew what had happened last night. We hadn't been very quiet, after all. If she did, she was being remarkably tactful about it. I pulled to a stop in front of a Piggly-Wiggly and gave Lita the money to go shopping. Her eyes widened at the sight of the hundred-dollar bill, but didn't say anything when she went inside.

"She probably thinks we've robbed a bank," I said, yawning until my jaw cracked.

"Why wouldn't you just listen to me?" Mamoru said.

"Because I'm not a baby! I have a right to make my own decisions."

"Even when they're stupid?"

"Especially when they're stupid! You do stupid things all the time, and I can't stop you! The number of times you've almost been killed scares the hell out of me, but you still do it. You have to respect me enough to let me be stupid."

"I just don't like watching you struggle like this, Serena," he said quietly, and it was unclear what struggle he was referring to.

"Oh, I'm tired of this," I said, banging my head on the steering wheel. "Can we just not fight for a while?"

He put his arm around my shoulders and gently drew me towards him. "Of course," he said.

---------------------

Lita came out a few minutes later with a mischievous smile on her face. I belatedly realized that sending her to go grocery shopping by herself with a hundred dollars might not have been my most brilliant idea.

"What did you get?" I asked as she loaded about four bags of groceries into the back seat. "We just wanted some lunch!"

"Well...I've never had so much money at one time before. I guess I went kind of crazy."

"No joke," I said, surveying the bags. I got out of the driver's seat and started pulling out the food. "Marshmallows," I said, "Lita, what on earth did you think we were going to do with marshmallows?"

"Eat them? I don't know, they looked yummy at the time..."

"Remind me to go shopping with you next time. Let's see, graham crackers, chocolate bars--what were you planning on making, s'mores? Too bad you forgot the fire. Candy, more candy...did you actually get any food? Oh, here we go: ice cream."

"You don't like ice cream?"

"I do, I was just hoping for something less...sweet." I sighed. "Whatever, let's just get going. I want to make it to Port Royal before five. I hope you at least bought spoons."

---------------------

As it turns out, she had, so after dining on mint chocolate chip ice cream, she started the car and I climbed in the back seat. We closed the convertible top before we left, and I had a suspicion that this was largely for my benefit. It was more comfortable without the wind blowing down my neck, and I found myself dozing almost immediately. Lita's voice roused me a little.

"If you don't mind my asking, Mamoru, where did you get that scar?"

The question surprised me, I had forgotten she must have seen it back in the hotel.

"Something that Serena and I went through together. Part of our...adventures, as you two would call them."

"You can't tell me more than that, I guess."

You wouldn't believe more than that, I thought, but Mamoru just agreed.

"Is it scary?" Lita asked, after a moment.

"Is what scary?"

"Almost dying. It looked serious. My grandfather was a doctor, well a horse doctor, but he did people sometimes too, so I know a little about medicine."

"Scary?" he said, half to himself. "Only if you have something to lose."

---------------------

After stopping at a gas station to ask for directions, we finally reached Port Royal, South Carolina. I don't know exactly what I had been expecting, but any town that has a place called "the barn" listed among its main attractions leaves something to be desired for a city girl like myself. Herman's estate was located on the outskirts of town, but you could walk from one end of Port Royal to the other in less than two hours, so it wasn't much of a drive.

"I have never been in a town this small!" I said as we drove through the one-lane streets.

"Mine was smaller," Lita said. "Population 300, Johnsonville, Virginia. You know the furthest I'd ever been from home was Richmond? Well, before now. So, what are you guys planning on doing here, anyway?"

"This guy has a private collection down here," I said. "We're looking for a book."

"You're looking for a book? Must be some book if you have the chocolate murderers after you."

Mamoru's narrowed eyes and worried frown were making me nervous. He had tensed from the moment we entered town, looking at everyone we passed suspiciously.

"Lita," I said, hoping this would distract him, "why don't you turn on the radio? We can see if they escaped again."

She found a talk station, but the local news seemed to go on forever.

"In other news, Mrs. Glenn Brady won the Arkansy annual pumpkin growing competition with a record 400 pound beauty..."

"Have these people ever heard of national news?" I asked.

Lita shrugged. "They may get to it. Here, listen." She turned up the volume.

"The infamous chocolate murderers, re-apprehended yesterday afternoon at a highway rest stop in Virginia, escaped police custody again a little over three hours ago. They are believed to be armed and dangerous, and anyone who knows their whereabouts is encouraged to call their local Police station."

Lita turned off the radio and pulled the car to the side of the road. We looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

"Three hours," Mamoru said finally. "How much time would it take?"

"We don't know where they escaped from," I said. "But...if they have enough power left, which they may not, and if Herman has enough of a fix on this place, which he probably does, they might just teleport here. We are going to have to be very careful when we find the house."

Lita looked back and forth between the two of us in confusion. "Teleport? What are you guys talking about?"

"I'm sorry, Lita," Mamoru said. "You can't be with us when we get to the house."

Her eyes widened, but she shook her head. "There is no way you guys are going to ditch me now! It's just getting interesting, and besides, where would I go? I don't have any money, and I'm not going back home."

"Here," I said, handing her the contents of my wallet. "Take this and go to a city. DC, maybe. Find yourself an apartment, get a job, go to school. I'm sure you'll be fine."

She stared at the money-- probably close to twenty thousand dollars-- in shock. For a moment she looked like she would take my hasty suggestion, but then handed money back to me. "What if those guys come looking for me? And besides, I'm not going to leave you alone, now. I'll just walk to the house if you drop me off back here." She looked at us defiantly. Mamoru and I glanced at each other, and he shrugged his shoulders a little. I knew exactly what he meant. We would take her along, if she insisted, but when we traveled back to his world with Herman's book in tow, she couldn't come back with us anyway. Feeling somehow guilty about lying to her, I let Mamoru talk.

"All right, then," he said, "We can't force you to go. Let's find this house."

---------------------

It came into view a few moments later, as we turned down a cobbled street that doubled as a driveway. The house was modestly sized, surrounded by far more impressive landscaping. I felt as though we had driven straight into the antebellum south. The beautiful fall colors of the trees, the classically gabled white house and porch, not to mention the sheer acreage of the place all made me half-expect Scarlet O'Hara to greet us at the door.

"Wow," Lita said. She shut off the engine. "So," she said, "how were you guys planning on getting this book? Stealing it?"

"Probably," I said. "So long as we can get inside, we ought to be able to." I got out of the car and stretched, thinking about our plan of action.

"Okay, Lita," I said. "You stay out here and watch for anyone coming up the driveway. If someone does, I want you to hide yourself somewhere, and if it's the chocolate murderers, I want you to come and get us, understand?"

"You mean I can't go in there with you?" she asked.

I swallowed the guilt I felt and nodded. "Someone has to keep watch, Lita. And it will be easier to get two people inside than three. And Mamoru," I said, turning towards him, "let me do the talking, okay?"

He laughed. "I wouldn't dream of opening my mouth, honeybee."

Winking at him, I opened the trunk and fished out Petunia's spell book. Mamoru took his maps. We had to bring them with us anyway, but my plan hinged on showing it to whoever managed the estate. We would break in if we had to, of course, but I wanted to at least try a legitimate route at first. We left Lita leaning against the side of the car, her arms crossed, and pouting. I almost turned around, but Mamoru put an insistent hand on the small of my back and I continued up the stairs to the porch. I knocked on the door loudly, since there wasn't a bell.

A young woman wearing a blue flower print sundress opened the door and peered curiously at us. She looked at Mamoru a little longer than necessary, but at least she didn't stare.

"Mina I help you?"

"Is this the private collection of Herman Liverwell?"

"Why, yes it is. Won't you please come in," she said, opening the door up all the way. We followed her into what looked like an nineteenth century tea parlor. She motioned us to sit on an antique sofa.

"Would you like some iced tea? I just made some this morning. Or lemonade, although I'm afraid I only have the store-bought kind..."

"Iced tea is fine," Mamoru said with a smile.

"I wish you would stop smiling at people," I said after she left.

"Serena, you're pouting."

Our benefactress entered the room again after a few minutes, bearing a tray with iced tea, sugar and a sliced lemon. She handed a glass to each of us before putting the tray on the table. Then she sat down and smiled.

"My name is Amy, by the way," she said.

"I'm Serena, and this is Mamoru," I said. We shook hands.

"So, what brings you to this part of South Carolina?" she asked, stirring sugar into her tea.

"We are writing a book on the history of the occult, and we received word that this collection has a copy of a particularly hard to find work on the magical arts. Something about a concept referred to as the seventh moon, I believe." Better to use the truth when you could, I figured. Amy took this information in, then nodded slightly. "We have managed to discover this," I said, hefting Petunia's book and placing it on the coffee table. "It's a re-copied spell book from the seventeenth century. If we could just spend a few hours with your volume, it would be so useful to our project. In the world of the occult, as I'm sure you know, Herman Liverwell is a giant. Are you the manager here?" I asked. She couldn't have been past her late twenties, which seemed incredibly young to have such a job.

"Oh no," she laughed, "I'm his neice. He went away for the fall on business, and I'm filling in for him. I thought it would be a nice change of pace from New York City. But, about your problem. I do think I know what book you're referring to, in fact. It's one of the most prized in this collection. I wish I could contact my uncle about this, but...I suppose it couldn't do any harm for you to just look at it for a few hours. You're writing a book, you say? Have you two written anything else?"

"No," I said, "this is our first attempt. We're very sure that it will be successful, though."

"Oh, I'm sure. It sounds absolutely fascinating. If you're finished, why don't you two follow me? I can set things up for you while you look."

She led us up to the second floor and around a curved hallway that ended in a set of richly inlaid double doors. She took a key off a chain around her neck and opened them. The room was meticulously clean and flooded with light that came from three bay windows in back. The walls were lined with ancient books. She led us to a locked bookcase on the far right wall. Taking another key from the chain on her neck, she opened it and ran her fingers quickly over the spine of each volume. The one she finally selected was slim, but she seemed certain it was what we were looking for. As she handed it to us, we heard someone pounding insistently on the front door.

"Can you excuse me for a moment," she said, "I have to get that."

After she had gone, Mamoru and I looked at each other. We had to do it now, or miss our chance entirely.

"All right," I said, trying to calm myself down. Teleportation between worlds was far more difficult than within. I needed to remember exactly how Petunia had done it that first time and I also needed to embed a language spell, since I didn't want to have to wade through the difficulty of casting one on myself. Of course, there was also our clothing. As Petunia had said, all I really needed to do was 'hold onto it,' but it took a lot of energy. The more I took with me, the more power it required. This time I had to bring Mamoru, our clothes, two books and a map.

"Serena," Mamoru said, just before I drew the power.

"What?" I said, opening my eyes.

"Do you think you could keep our clothes on this time?"

I cursed, but refrained from other comment. Taking a deep breath, I drew practically as much power as I could hold. I had discovered that the book was right about the words not being really necessary, so long as you still used a locator and knew exactly what to do.

"Petunia," I said, since I knew she was still in Umeru.

I felt limbo fast approaching and was about to finish the spell when I heard the sound of people frantically running up the stairs. The spell wavered dangerously, although I fought to hold on. The running continued and then the doors burst open. For a fearful second I thought it was Ushiro, but only Lita and Amy ran inside.

"Serena, Mamoru!" Lita said, looking out the windows behind us. "They're here! The chocolate murderers are here!"

"The chocolate murderers?" Amy asked. I glanced out the window and saw that they were entering the house as we spoke.

If I waited any longer, the spell would dissipate entirely. Amy, as the proprietor's niece, would probably be safe, but if Lita stayed she would almost certainly be killed.

I know I'm going to regret this, I thought as I drew even more power and included Lita in the spell. I dragged us all across however many universes to the country known as Umeru.

---------------------

We landed, uncomfortable but fully clothed, in the middle of a road. Lita looked around in shock and confusion and I fell backwards, totally exhausted. That house would smell like chocolate for days given the amount of power I had used, and I was completely drained. Mamoru was easy to carry through universes compared to Lita--she had dragged me down like a lead weight. I knew without looking that Petunia was nowhere near us; the spell had wavered so badly that I had barely made it to Umeru. I had a splitting headache, but I was too tired to even lift my arms to my head.

"Oh God," I moaned, "Why does this always happen to me?" I noted, with a mild amount of satisfaction, that I was now speaking Mamoru's language. "My head hurts so bad I can _hear_ it pounding."

"Serena," Mamoru said, moving towards me. "I don't think that's your head."

"Speak for yourself," I said. "Why don't you try to use that much magic and see how it makes you feel."

Mamoru had stopped talking, however, staring at something in the distance that I did not have the energy to lift my head to see.

"Serena," Lita said, "There are people coming..." her voice was disbelieving, but she also sounded excited.

"It's an army," Mamoru said. "We're about to get run over by an army."

* * *

**END Book 6. Told you it was long :) Climax and denoument coming soon.**


	9. Why I Should Have Stayed with the Fish

Author's Note: All right, here you have it! The last chapter! There's an epilogue to go, but we're mostly finished. Thanks for reading this. I'm glad that the more or less finished, edited version of this story has found an audience and a home, at last. Comment, if you like :)

* * *

**Book Seven: Why I Should Have Stayed with the Fish**

---------------------

I tried to sit up, but my arms wouldn't support the rest of my body. Since none of my companions seemed to notice my difficulty, I tried again, this time with slightly greater success. When I looked up my eyes wouldn't focus. All I could see was a large and noisy brown blob coming towards us. I tried to say "what are we going to do," but my mouth couldn't form the words.

"What?" Mamoru asked, turning to me. I tried again.

"We have to get away from here," he said. "It must be the Kojin's men. Things escalated since we left, I guess."

"Um, excuse me," Lita said, "who _are_ you guys, anyway? Where the hell are we? And an _army_? Like a hostile army?"

"There are people coming," Mamoru said. "They've already seen us. I don't think we can get away."

Lita and Mamoru stood up. Still on the ground, I realized that Mamoru had forgotten about me, and I was unwilling to ask for his help. Mustering all of my remaining strength, I staggered to my feet and reeled as blood rushed to my head. After some of the white cleared from my vision I saw that the army was still pretty far away, but two mounted soldiers were riding towards us.

Lita looked back and forth between Mamoru and me nervously. "Um, guys...really, I mean it, where are we?"

I sighed. "Another world," I said. "A country called Umeru."

"Jesus Christ," Lita said, but she sounded more excited than anything. "Can I ask one more question?" she asked, when the horsemen were only forty or fifty meters away.

"Quickly," I said.

"Can I stay here?"

I had to laugh. "Why don't you ask them?" I said, gesturing to the two riders who had stopped before us.

If their armor were half as functional as it was visually effective, this army should be unbeatable. They wore huge helmets with ornate decorations in red, black and gold that made them look demonic. This image was not helped by the massive bows that they trained on the four of us. The men were well armed; in addition to the bows, each wore a large sword on his back and a smaller one at his hip. The rest of the armor that covered their bodies was made, it seemed, from plated bamboo.

"In the name of his lordship Nakatomi Arima, I demand to know your identity and business on this road," said the rider to my right, whose arrow was trained at Mamoru's heart.

"We are travelers," Mamoru said, guarding his name for some reason that I did not understand. "We have no business different from any other on this road."

"You must be very strange travelers, then," the man said, a hint of sarcasm in his gruff voice. "A man and three young women appear, unarmed, in foreign clothing, on the most dangerous road in the country, and fail to pay respects to the returning entourage of Nakatomi Arima."

"Returning entourage?" Mamoru said, "He has returned from the continent?"

"He left immediately after hearing of the Kojin's insurrection. So, understandably, we have a reason to be wary of 'travelers' such as yourself."

"I assure you, if you give me an audience with his lordship, he will not regret it. We have invaluable information that can lead to the defeat of the Kojin."

"What sort of information?" The soldier's bow didn't waver.

"About the Lady."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't. But if I am telling the truth, and you kill me, then you will come to regret it. We are unarmed, as you can see, and harmless. Take us to see Nakatomi. You will not be disappointed."

The man paused, and then looked at his partner. After a moment they nodded.

"Come with me," he said gruffly, while the second rider moved behind us. I knew as soon as they started walking that I wouldn't be able to make it. I stayed where I was, precariously holding onto consciousness.

"Move!" the man behind me ordered, and despite the arrow pointed at my back, I couldn't find the energy.

"Serena," Mamoru said, "what are you doing?"

More than a little angry with Mamoru, I took a step forward and felt the abrupt sensation of disengaging with my body.

"Bastard," I said, before I made full contact with the ground.

---------------------

When I regained consciousness, I was first aware of Mamoru. My head was cradled in his chest. For a while I simply contented myself with lying there in a groggy half-stupor and let the angry voices wash over me. After a few moments, however, I gradually grew aware of the conversation.

"...take care of her!" Mamoru was saying. Agitation made his heart beat rapidly.

The other person, whoever he was, sounded a bit calmer.

"I have to do no such thing. You still have not told me your identity, and you are no mere traveler. I have never seen clothes like those before, and my general tells me that you mentioned something about the Lady. What do you know, and why won't you tell me? I begin to think that you work for the Kojin."

Mamoru bridled. "You slur my honor, sir," he said. "I will tell you all you need to know if you simply promise me to take care of this girl."

"My word is not to be given lightly, traveler, and you still have not told me your name."

"If I tell you, do you promise to take care of her?"

There was a pause while the man hesitated, "I agree," he said finally.

"Chiba Mamoru."

"Chiba..." the man said, and then his voice caught. "Mamoru? From what prefecture?"

"Ikeba."

There was another silence, and I felt the tension in the room. Mamoru was holding his breath.

"Aiko was a beautiful woman. You bear a strong resemblance." At his words I felt Mamoru resume normal breathing, although there was still a strange tension in his body. "I give my word that the girl and the others will be seen to, to the best of my ability." I heard the man step closer. "What ails her?" he asked.

"Exhaustion, as far as I can tell," Mamoru said.

Oh, so you finally noticed, I thought. I heard the sound of someone else enter the room.

"Take her back to my tent," the man said, "and let her sleep. Bring the other lady here."

I wanted to stay, but before I could say so, I left the reassuring warmth of Mamoru's body as he handed me to an attendant. Away from him I found myself slipping away again, and within minutes I drifted to far more comfortable shores.

---------------------

I knew it was nighttime when I awoke again, because the light of two moons shone through the tent. I rolled over and saw Mamoru asleep. His hand was lightly draped over my torso, tousled hair falling over his contented face. He was sleeping on the ground, and I wondered why he hadn't found a bed. I smiled softly and brushed my hand over his cheek, relishing this unguarded moment of love. How many of these would we have in the days to come? Under my touch Mamoru stirred, and then awoke, looking around in confusion. Once he saw me he relaxed.

"You're awake," he said. "How do you feel?"

"Not so good," I said. "Remind me never to do that again."

He smiled a little, and it was a gentle, utterly truthful smile that almost pained me to see. Slowly, I raised my arms and wrapped them around his head, lowering it to my stomach. He lay there and held my waist tightly while I stroked his uncut hair.

"I'm sorry," he said, after a few minutes. "I was...preoccupied. It's not an excuse. If it's any reassurance, I was very, very scared when I saw you lying there."

"It's okay, Mamoru. It's okay. We take care of each other. I watch out for you just as much as you watch out for me. And if one of us messes up...we're human. Don't try to take it all on yourself."

Mamoru found my free hand and squeezed it tightly. "Serena, I..."

"Yes?" I asked, yawning.

"Never mind."

---------------------

Far too early the next morning, Mamoru's gentle but insistent hands awoke me. With resignation, I opened my eyes, and saw Lita and Mamoru's faces hovering above mine.

"What's going on here?" I asked through a yawn. How was it possible to feel this tired? I had always known that magic drained some energy, but I had never felt anything approaching this level of exhaustion before.

"Mamoru, this had better be important," I said.

"It is. The army rides out at dawn, and you two still don't know what's been happening."

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Just try not to be too long about it, okay?"

"Right, well, this is the army of Nakatomi Arima, the princesses' first cousin, and next in line to the throne. Outside of the immediate royal family, he is the most powerful political figure in this country. He was serving as ambassador in the Cho'u empire, but it appears that he came back here as soon as he heard of the Kojin's uprising."

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"They were originally headed for the palace, but...those maps. I didn't tell you this before, Serena, but several of them are of this country. And not just the country, they are maps to his stronghold. He put them on your world because he never expected anyone to find them there. But now that we have them, and we've found this army, we have a real chance of destroying his power forever." Mamoru looked intense as he said that, almost angry.

"So you're planning on directing Nakatomi Arima's army to the Kojin's stronghold, and attacking him there?" I asked.

He winced a little and then nodded.

"How many soldiers do we have?"

"A little over a thousand."

"And the Kojin?"  
"I don't know for sure...at least five thousand."

"Five thousand plus god knows how many magical guards in a frozen wasteland...this is on the Northern island, isn't it?" He nodded. "So, that up against one thousand ground troops tired from traveling, you and me."

He hesitated, and then nodded again.

"What does Lord Nakatomi think of this?"

"He agrees with me. It's our only chance," he said.

"I hope you're right, Mamo-chan," I said softly. "I don't know much about this stuff, but to me it sounds like suicide."

Mamoru looked away from me and shrugged his shoulders. "It may be," he said, even more softly.

"Are you serious?" Lita asked. "What about the book? I thought that was important somehow."

"That won't do us much good until we can get it to Petunia--"

"Who's Petunia?" Lita asked.

"Herman's--the Kojin's sister. She's on our side," I said. "Anyway, I don't think I have a prayer of understanding it, so we have to find her."

"Can't you just contact her on your bond?" Mamoru asked.

I shook my head. "I'm totally drained. I don't have enough energy to light a candle, let alone contact Petunia. We'll have to wait a few days, or maybe she'll find us. Regardless," I said as I levered myself into a sitting position. "This has become too dangerous for you, Lita. In a few days I can send you back to your world, where you'll be safe."

"Are you kidding me?" Lita said. "Armies, magic, evil bad guys and you want me to _leave_? I don't think so."

"Lita, you're nuts. We may lose, you know," I said. "And you have to face it: if we die, you're going to be stranded here without anyone."

"I don't care," Lita said. "I may be nuts, but I'm going to be nuts and _fun_, not sane and boring."

Well, I thought, smiling with her, there's no accounting for taste.

---------------------

Afterwards, Mamoru helped me into an ox cart, since we both agreed that I wasn't up to riding today. Lita came along to keep me company. While we still wore our modern clothing, Mamoru had managed to find some clothes more appropriate to his world. Not like I minded: when it came down to it, I would take jeans over a kimono any day. The cart was filled with supplies for the army, bringing up the rear of the supply train.

"Hey, what's in these boxes, anyway?" I asked Mamoru, wrinkling my nose at the strange smell.

"Fish," he said.

"Great," I said. "Now I'm going to smell like seafood."

After we were settled in, Mamoru paused and then held my hand tightly.

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to say...I mean," he took a deep breath and then continued, "I promise that you'll survive this."

He left before I could even think of what to say.

"He always does this," I said. I smacked the side of the cart.

"What's wrong?" Lita asked.

"I hate it when he's so overprotective."

"I don't know...I thought it was pretty romantic myself. To have a guy willing to give his life up for me--"

"That's just the problem!" I turned towards Lita. "Mamoru is always willing to sacrifice himself, but he refuses to let me take my own risks. He doesn't want my death or injury on his conscience, but what about mine? I don't want him to die for me, damn it. It's not chivalrous, it's selfish!"

Lita looked stunned for several moments before she tentatively put her arm around my shaking shoulders.

"Shh, it's okay, Serena," she said quietly. "I'm sure you two will work it out."

"If he doesn't die first," I said.

---------------------

I fell asleep soon after that. By the time I awoke again it was midday. Lita was dozing on the fish boxes, and for some unknown reason, the cart had stopped moving. After I sat up, I realized that this was because the entire army had inexplicably stopped in the middle of the road.

"Um...excuse me?" I said to the driver's back. He grunted in response. "Um...if you don't mind my asking, why are we stopped?"

"Plague," he said, not bothering to turn around. "It's in the next village."

"Plague? But...I thought that the Kojin had stopped sending it."

"A plague is a plague. Doesn't matter who sends it. It still spreads."

"Oh," I said, taking this in. Of course, I had forgotten that by creating a disease, Herman had made a force that could take a life of its own.

Suddenly, I had the strangest idea. "Where is the village?" I asked. "All I see here are rice paddies."

"The farms. The village center is about half a mile that way." He pointed to his right.

"How long will the army be stopped here?"

"Gotta check all the men," he said. "Weeding out the locks and the shivers, you know. Two more hours, maybe."

"Thank you," I said. If the cart had been filled with tea, or vegetables or anything that did not smell quite so bad as dried fish, I probably would have bided my time and stayed. The fumes, however, seemed to have addled my brain. So, I jumped off the side. My legs wobbled precariously on impact and I gripped the side of the cart to keep from falling. Lita didn't stir. I took a step forward, pleased that my balance had improved slightly. I had to see that village, and no small thing like magical exhaustion was going to stop me. Besides, compared to yesterday, I felt like an Olympic athlete. I took another step and, with nothing to steady myself, fell over.

---------------------

It took me a little over an hour to walk the half-mile to the village. The path through the rice paddies to the village was strangely deserted, especially given that there was an army less than a mile away. As I made my slow way towards the village center, the eerie quiet grew more pointed, punctuated only by the sounds of villagers walking, horses whinnying, and babies crying. These, of course, are all normal sounds of a village, but the sheer absence of any human voice or pleasant conversation made my heart beat faster. At first I saw no outward signs of a plague, but as I walked closer to one particular shed on the outskirts of town, I grew aware of the cloying, overpowering smell of rotting meat. Even though I was terrified of what I would find, I walked behind the shed, where the smell was most powerful.

The man was old, and the distorted, grayish color of his face told me that he had been dead for quite some time. His clothes were tattered--he had probably been a beggar. I stared for a terrified moment before I emptied the entire contents of my stomach on the ground. When there was nothing left, I ran until the smell no longer lingered in the air. My memory of his face, however, was harder to escape. Taking a deep breath, and spurred on by equal measures of determination and adrenaline, I walked further into the village. As I calmed down, I became aware of a growing rage within myself. I had spent months hearing about the plague, but I had not once witnessed it first hand. All this time, I had been fighting against what was, to me, an abstract evil. These villagers, however, were forced to deal with it every day. If I had possessed any doubts about the worth of my mission, they were eradicated.

As I neared the heart of the town, what few pedestrians there were avoided looking in my direction. My clothes marked me as a stranger. As I walked through the streets, I noticed that many of the houses were boarded up, and I wondered if they had been abandoned or if all the occupants had been claimed by the plague. At first, when I neared a small, cylindrical fixture in the middle of village square I didn't know what it was. I should have, of course; during my months trekking through this world on horseback and on foot, I had seen and drunk from my share of wells. Except, every other public well I had been to--especially at this time of day--had been crowed with people. This well was completely deserted. In fact, the few people on the street seemed to be avoiding it. I wondered if it had been contaminated, somehow.

I stopped a few yards away. Suddenly, I felt close to fainting. Even as I stood there, I could feel white encroaching on my vision. I shook my head and continued walking to the well, although my continuous shivering hampered my pace. I couldn't imagine why I felt so cold; I could have sworn the temperature was over seventy when I left the cart. I sighed, and peered over the edge of the well.

I had already noted the quiet dignity with which these villagers bore their disaster. I saw no outright pandemonium, no babies dying on the streets--nothing I had been led to expect from movies and novels. Only now did I realize that their outward stoicism only hid the same horrors.

The well was clogged with dead bodies, perhaps five or six. I could only imagine how they got there. Perhaps, like the bubonic plague, they had been driven mad with thirst and jumped into the well to slake it. Perhaps they had killed themselves to avoid the agony of the disease. Perhaps the living had tossed them in there after they died, but why would any sane villagers willfully destroy their only clean water source? The one body I could see clearly was that of a woman, no older than myself. Her open, glassy eyes stared up through the water, and her mouth was slightly parted, as though she were singing. Her long black hair lay delicately on the water, obscuring my view of the other bodies. Her clenched hands still held onto her shredded blue kimono, a wedding dress. I stared for as long as I could bear, then I collapsed on my hands and knees in the dirt and suffered through a bout of dry heaves. How had this woman ended up at the bottom of a well in her wedding dress? I would never know, but the question made me shudder with revulsion. Herman had torn these people's lives apart, all for the sake of one stupid princess.

The few people in the streets were pausing now to look at me and whisper among themselves. Would my fate be the same as the nameless bride's? I began to panic. I tried to stand up, but my legs would not respond to my frantic demands. I had reached my absolute limit; if anything, I felt more exhausted than yesterday. I crawled forward, wondering if I should ask one of these people to help me, knowing that they probably wouldn't. It didn't matter anyway, because as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, I was overcome with an unbearable coughing fit. I collapsed fully to the ground, aware of the growing crowd. No one could save me, this time. Mamoru and the others had no idea where I was. The shivering returned with more severity, and as I bit my lip to keep from crying out, I wondered what was happening to me. Could I have possibly caught the plague in so short an amount of time? That danger had never occurred to me.

"Is it the death?" the lady closest to me asked, fear in her voice.

"It must be," said the woman next to her, "get the men to toss her in the well and be done with it."

"But we don't even know who she is," said the first.

"Who cares? Do you want to die?"

Their disturbing conversation was cut off when a man entered the clearing. I saw through partially opened eyes that he was perhaps sixty, and the immediate silence that descended upon his arrival showed the respect these villagers accorded him. Two boys, each no older than ten, walked close by him, as if for protection.

"We should not make hasty decisions," he said, and I silently echoed his sentiment. "First we must see if she does have the death. We should also find out who she is." I grew nervous again; his words were hardly reassuring. I watched helplessly as the man directed the two boys to approach me. They did so with extreme caution. Their hands were wrapped with linen cloth in an effort to inhibit infection. At the doctor's direction, one boy grabbed my arm, and began to move my elbow back and forth. I now understood why the hostess at that inn so long ago had insisted on moving my joints to see if I had the plague. Over the past several minutes they had practically locked in place, which made moving them sheer agony. I tried to stop myself from crying out, but eventually I lost the struggle. I heard the collective gasp from the crowd and I knew that I had already damned myself. It would only be minutes before they decided to toss me into the well.

The doctor approached me, stopping perhaps five feet from my body.

"Who are you, dear?" he asked. "I wouldn't give you to the well myself, but I'm afraid that they won't have it any other way. At least give me someone's name, so I can tell them what happened to you."

I fought to speak, and eventually I managed to do so over the coughing that threatened to take me over again. "Serena," I said, and barely recognized that rasping voice as my own. "My name is Serena. I...I have no family. Tell Mamoru."

"Mamoru?" he asked, "Does he have a surname?"

"Chiba...Mamoru." A few solitary tears coursed down my cheeks. I wouldn't see him again. I would die like this, on the dirt in a foreign town, half a mile a way from Mamoru but still too far.

At least the man's face held some compassion, which was far more than I could find on the hardened visages of the villagers. "I'm sorry," he said. "Mina you return to the earth." He stood up, and dusted his clothes. "You can do what you like with her. You know how I feel." I watched as my last remaining hope exited the crowd, and then closed my eyes.

The moment that followed seemed to exist in a space outside of time. I floated within my mind, remembering how it felt to be kissed by Mamoru that first time, and how it felt to make love. No matter what else my life had been, I could be grateful for him.

At first, I didn't quite understand the shouts of surprise from the crowd, largely because I was hallucinating, and hearing Mamoru's voice as well.

"Where's Serena?" the hallucination said angrily.

I opened my eyes. We saw each other at the same time. He was standing by a dark brown horse who panted heavily from what must have been a headlong gallop to the village. Mamoru's face was drained of color.

"Serena?" he said softly, pain in his voice. After that moment's shocked pause, Mamoru rushed forward and picked me up. I bit my lip against the pain in my joints, and buried my head in his chest, breathing that scent I had never expected to smell again.

"What would you have done to her?" he shouted to the crowd. "Would you have killed her, tossed her into the well? Is that what you do with all of your sick, now?" There was no response, but he knew the answer. "You don't even know who this girl is, and you planned to kill her? You are all less worthy of respect than dogs." I shuddered at the icy hatred in his voice. He walked slowly through the crowd, and they gave him a wide berth. The horse followed us as we walked out of the village, through the deserted streets. I began to shiver again, and his arms tightened around me.

"It's okay, Serena," he whispered, his voice shaking slightly, "Lita found me. Told me you had left, she didn't know where. The Lady...Petunia found out what happened to you. She was the one who told me...before it was too late. She has a house, we're almost there."

"I'm...sorry," I said, masterfully suppressing most of the coughs that threatened to spill over. "I was so stupid." I could not manage to get any more out. He paused until I finished coughing, and when he spoke again the tremor in his voice was more noticeable.

"Shh, Serena. Don't worry. This is...this is all my fault. I should have known..." he trailed off. Should have known what? Known that I was stupid and couldn't be trusted to walk three feet on my own without getting into trouble?

"We're here," he said. I heard Petunia's frantic voice as she ran up to us.

"How is she?" she asked, putting her hand to my forehead. She drew it back almost immediately.

"I don't know," Mamoru said, but Petunia had already moved on.

"This is bad," she said, and Mamoru's body stiffened at her words. "How could you have wandered into a plague village when you were already so exhausted?" she said to me, and then sighed. "Take her inside. The plague affects the joints severely, this must be incredibly painful for her."

While true, I wish she hadn't said so in front of Mamoru. He didn't need another reason to feel guilty. The "house" was a small one-room cabin raised on stilts above the marshy ground. Inside, Mamoru placed me down gently on a sleeping mat near the fire. Despite his care, the pain in my joints made me cry out involuntarily.

"Serena," I heard Petunia say. "Drink this. You'll feel better."

I swallowed the revolting concoction.

"She'll go to sleep now," Petunia said to Mamoru, and even as I tried to debate that assertion I fell away from reality with disturbing ease.

---------------------

I awoke what must have been later that night, shivering with cold despite my proximity to the fire. I felt muddy-headed, probably with the residuals of Petunia's medicine. I wanted to shift my position, but moving had become too painful. Petunia and Mamoru were engaged in a heated argument, and it seemed as though it had been continuing for a while. With resignation, I recognized myself as the topic of conversation."You _have_ to go with the army, Mamoru-kun," Petunia said, her voice firm despite the affectionate diminutive.

"You can't expect me to leave her like this!"

"I assure you that I am fully capable of taking care of her without you."

"That's not what I'm saying! I know you can take care of her. It's just...I would never forgive myself if..."

"If what, Mamoru?" Petunia asked.

"I didn't know what to expect when Lita told me she had disappeared, when you told me that she was in trouble in the village. I just left, but Lady, if you had seen her there, lying in the dirt, surrounded by an angry mob of the ignorant villagers that she was trying to save...I just can't leave her here. I can give Lord Nakatomi the maps, he can travel to the Kojin with his army by himself--"

"Lord Nakatomi, powerful though he may be, cannot defeat the Kojin without you."

"I can't believe that's true! I'm just some stupid village boy. Somehow I got roped into this mess, but I'm not necessary. She _is_ though; that's why I have to protect her."

"Mamoru, don't you understand? Herman is afraid. That's why he spends so much time and energy chasing you and Serena, because you threaten him."

"How? Tell me, Lady, how do I threaten him?"  
She paused. "I don't know," she said finally. "But I know my brother, and I know when he is terrified. _You_ terrify him, Mamoru. That's why you must continue without her."

Mamoru shook his head violently and slammed his fist on the floor."Whether you know it or not, you're important," she said. "To be honest, I'm the most dispensable, and Herman is my own brother! I want to stop him, Mamoru, but I know I can't, so I do what I can. That's what we all have to do. I can take care of Serena, you can fight Herman. Hopefully, we won't be long. We will catch up with the army in Yonde."

"Lady, I just can't..."

I could see Petunia lose the battle with her patience. "If you love her so much, then why didn't you do anything for her when it counted? You knew how exhausted she was, so where the hell were you?"

I had never heard Petunia's usually courteous speech degenerate so fully into the vernacular. Her words made me flinch, and I could only imagine their impact on Mamoru. Why couldn't anyone seem to acknowledge that this situation was my fault? I had expected more from Petunia. The silence stretched for over a minute, punctuated only by the popping of the fire. Finally I heard Mamoru's voice, low and dejected.

"I humbly defer to your wisdom, Lady," he said. His formality surprised me. "It is, I suppose, better this way. I allowed this to happen, and I have no right to stay by her side now."

"It's okay, Mamoru," I said. The two turned abruptly at the sound of my voice.

"You're awake?" Petunia said. "That drink I gave you should easily have lasted through the night." She and Mamoru shared a worried look before she came over to me, and tentatively felt my forehead with her hand. She sucked in her breath, and stood up quickly.

"Stay with her for now," she told Mamoru, "it's getting worse. I have to get some herbs...I need to make the drink stronger."

After she left Mamoru stared at me helplessly. His expression was so disturbed that I held his hand, ignoring my protesting joints. I relaxed as he stroked my hair, and my shivers subsided.

"Mamoru," I said, willing him to trust me, "this isn't your fault. It's mine. You know how often you say I'm stupid, right? Well, I made a really stupid decision, and it's my fault. You don't...you can't blame yourself for every bad thing that happens to me. We take care of each other, remember? Just do me a favor this time and go with Lord Nakatomi. Please." He looked as if he were on the verge of trusting me, but those few sentences were more than I could say without coughing. He held me until I finished, and when I opened my eyes again I felt jolted to see the unmistakable glint of a tear on his face.

"I'm sorry, Serena," he said, "I just can't forgive myself."

---------------------

Moments later Petunia returned. She took a few minutes to prepare the drink and then made me drain the glass. Mamoru stared at me as I lay there. Already, sleep was reclaiming me. His deep blue eyes were somehow unreadable, but held such pain that I ached for him. I had done all I could, but the knowledge did nothing to reassure me.

"I'll see you soon," I said, when I realized I would be dead to the world in mere minutes.

He smiled, and brushed my cheek. "I'll be waiting."

I knew he would, but within me was a growing fear that I wouldn't be alive to meet him.

---------------------

The period that followed could have lasted a year or mere hours. I didn't know-- time had lost its meaning for me. I drifted in, out and between consciousness. In my lucid moments, I was aware of Petunia's constant presence: doggedly reassuring, but failing to hide the worry that lurked behind her eyes. Mamoru had left. I knew this because I called out to him in my delirium, and though I could have sworn I heard him answer, the reassuring grip on my hands always belonged to Petunia, and the gentle voice always held her distinctive cadence.

I measured my life in the space between one painful breath and the next, catalogued in my brief respites from delirium. Nothing had prepared me for the gruesome horror of this plague, all the more terrifying because it left no outward mark on the body. Every movement was torture, and nothing but my swollen joints revealed that. Although I had not thought it possible, my cough grew worse during that interminable time, making any speech on my part impossible.

Sometime during this period, I awoke from drug-induced slumber to the sounds of a quiet cabin. Sun streamed in from the open door and windows, revealing Petunia slumped on a pillow next to me. My body spasmed, and I let off a groan of pain. Petunia awoke with a jerk and knelt next to me as I suffered through it. I felt her magic seep into my body, gently relaxing my muscles. From her tired expression, I could tell that she had performed this and many other tasks several times before, and the strain was beginning to wear on her. I wanted to speak to her, but doing so through our bond would probably be safer than aloud.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" I asked silently.

Petunia jolted upright, probably surprised that I had recovered enough to even do that much. She spoke aloud, perhaps to prevent me from reading the overtones of her thoughts.

"You'll survive. I promised Mamoru-kun."

"Idiots," I said, feeling myself drift back into unconsciousness.

She smiled tentatively. "Just so long as you're alive to tell us both that to our faces."

---------------------

My condition gradually improved. The recovery was slow, however, and I realized that unless I got much better much faster, I would not have a chance of defeating Herman. Petunia must have known as well, but over the days that followed we avoided the subject of my recovery. Petunia continued to give me what help she could without much aid of magic. Herman, she informed me, had specifically designed his plague to be impervious to magical cures, specifically those of his sister. She could only treat the symptoms.

I knew that my stupidity was threatening to ruin her last chance of stopping her brother. In spare moments, she would pore over Herman's book, desperately searching for any clue he may have overlooked that would give us the key to the seventh moon. I knew that she had counted on me to use its power when she couldn't. She never said this to me. In fact, she never rebuked me once for my carelessness, but her kindness made me feel even guiltier. I discovered, to my frustration, that no amount of self-will seemed to speed up my recovery. In fact, any overexertion on my part only brought back the more painful symptoms of the plague--especially the hacking cough. Sometimes I coughed blood, but neither Petunia nor I commented. My joints were still painfully stiff, although not quite so bad as they had been that first day.

Part of what kept me in denial for so long was the thought of Mamoru--I didn't want him to blame himself for what had happened to me. It was this sort of avoidance mentality, I believe, that drove Petunia to start teaching me magic.

She first brought up the subject after I had been there for over a week. While far recovered from the touch-and-go state of the first few days, I still could not stay awake for more than hours at a time, and any sort of physical exertion--even eating--left me completely drained. Mentally, however, I was getting a little stir crazy. Therefore, I did not object when Petunia knelt by the bed, carefully arranging her surprisingly sober light green kimono, and started to explain the dynamics of spell casting. She probably realized that engaging me in an extensive conversation would be unnecessarily exhausting, so she just talked. Half the time she must have thought I was sleeping when I closed my eyes to relax, and sometimes I did drop off.

"Magical ability," Petunia said during the second day of her lessons, "is something one is born with, but skill must be learned. Some people have a more natural gift than others, and it seems this is inherited. Herman and I, for instance, can both use magic with remarkable felicity. Many people in your world have some magical ability, but almost always on a level far below yours or mine. The Masons, for example, are a group quite well known for their magic users, particularly their politicians. Your talent though, Serena...you are one of the strongest magic users I've ever encountered in my life. It's hard to tell how much power another person has until they use it, but what you did to get here--traveling with two extra people, their clothing and two books--and still getting within a few miles of me was...well, it would have killed a lesser magician. With even two years of training, you could be at Herman's level. Now...we'll see what we can learn about the seventh moon. I only hope that it will be enough to stop my brother."

---------------------

That night I had a relapse. My fever skyrocketed, and I lost all the progress that I had made over the past few days. Petunia helped me through the night with more of her quiet reassurance, but she could not mask the worry on her face. By dawn, when the fever threatened to go even higher, Petunia stripped me of my clothes and picked me up. This would have been quite a feat of strength two weeks earlier, but I had lost so much weight that she performed the task easily. Lacking the energy to wonder what she was doing, I rested helplessly against her while she carried me outside. We were greeted by a clear dawn and mild weather, but I was in no condition to enjoy it. My head pounded furiously, and my joints burned with each step Petunia took. I bore all this stoically. There is a point, I discovered, when one can become so used to misery that it doesn't produce the same reactions that it did before. Instead of groaning or crying, I thought of Mamoru and willed myself to survive. Eventually Petunia arrived at a small stream, perhaps five feet across and of indeterminate depth. She dunked me in first and then climbed in after me. The shock of the frigid water seemed to clear some of the haze from my head and I sat limply in the water while Petunia held me. I felt her use magic to make the water even colder, and gradually the relentless heat trapped in my body receded. I felt Petunia behind me as she used her magic to ease the pain in my joints. I relaxed gratefully into the frigid water. About two hours later, Petunia, shivering with cold, picked me back up and carried me to the cabin.

"The fever's gone down," she said through chattering teeth.

"Go to sleep," I said hoarsely. "I'll be okay."

I thought she would disagree, but I could see the lure of rest overcome her compunctions, and she barely managed to take off her wet kimono before collapsing on her futon.

---------------------

Petunia slept as though dead until evening, and I made no move to wake her. What rest she had received over the past two weeks had been sporadic. The pinched, worried look around her mouth relaxed, and she did not seem to mind the strands of frizzy white-blonde hair that fell into her mouth. I slept fitfully, and around noon I awoke with a frightening sense of dislocation. Mamoru's presence had been so real in my dreams that upon waking I couldn't help but feel an abrupt and painful disappointment. Biting my lip to keep back sudden tears, I forced myself to sleep again until evening. The dreams returned, however, and for a fleeting moment as I opened my eyes, I could have sworn that I felt his hand on mine and his gentle, deep blue eyes seemed to linger in the air after the specter vanished.

"Mamoru," I whispered, unable to hold back the tears that slipped from my eyes.

"Projection," Petunia said from across the room. I turned to her, surprised.

"What?" I asked.

"How could he have possibly..." she said to herself and then looked up at me. "Never mind," she said slowly, and refused to say any more on the subject. Had Mamoru really been there a moment ago? But he was miles away, riding to a probable death without me.

---------------------

"Serena," Petunia said an hour later, "we have to talk."

"Yes," I said, trying to sound calm.

"You need a doctor, a hospital, really. Unless you can get back to your world, you are going to die."

Of course I had suspected it, but the truth still felt like a blow. I suppose that up till then I had cherished the fanciful hope that I would recover on my own soon and be able to help Mamoru. Suddenly I was grateful that he was gone. As much as I wanted his comfort, it was better for him to be spared this pain. Taking a deep breath, I nodded.

"What can we do?" I asked.

She sighed, and ran her hand through her hair. Strange, I thought. Mamoru did the exact same thing when he was uncomfortable.

"It's up to you...the options aren't very good, and I can't ask you to kill yourself. I really can't believe that you've done this much already, and I'll understand if this is where you want to end it. If you want to go back now, I can take you home, and you'll probably get better."

"And the other option?" I asked.

"It isn't exactly attractive. I can use a spell...it's dangerous and entirely ill advised, but it ought to get you to Herman, and if you manage to survive that, and we can get you back to your world soon enough...then you might survive."

"The prognosis isn't good, huh?" I said, with a poor attempt at sarcasm. Petunia had the grace to smile. "What's the spell?" I asked.

"Your body can feed off magical energy instead of natural energy. You will feel normal, better even, for a while. At most you have a week...maybe a few days more, if you're lucky. After that, the magic becomes toxic. You will become much sicker than you are now. At that point, even if we take you back to your world you may still die. The combined effects of magical poisoning and the plague will be devastating. You have to understand this. If I cast the spell, you're operating on borrowed time. If you go home now, you'll live. If not..."

While many a heroine might have walked willingly into probable death without looking back, I am forced to admit that this news did give me pause. The thought that I only had a week to live suffused my entire body with dread. For a few moments the idea of returning to my comfortable climate-controlled, child-proof environment had imminent appeal. All my life I had naively wished for adventure, but now I realized that adventure was far more enjoyable to read about than to experience. And yet, a part of me argued, while catching a plague, killing a person and getting my period on horseback hadn't been pleasurable experiences, there was something about this world, this _life_ that made me cringe to leave it. It seemed that fundamentally, despite the dangers, or perhaps because of them, I still liked adventure. I was suited for it, and even if I died because of that, my death wouldn't be in vain. Many people weren't lucky enough to have found a cause worth dying for. Somehow, I held an entire country's fate in my hand, and I had to live up to that responsibility, despite the personal costs. Maybe I wanted to do that anyway. And even if none of these reasons held weight for me, I thought with a smile, I could not give up Mamoru. Above all other considerations, Mamoru was the reason I stayed, and the reason why I could not look back.

I looked up at Petunia. She looked back at me, a question in her eyes that she did not voice aloud.

"I'll stay," I said.

---------------------

She performed the spell the next morning. For what could not have lasted more than ten seconds, but felt longer, I experienced magical overload. I had approached this level a few times before, but somehow this felt different. I had always drawn power for some external purpose, holding it within me mere seconds before using it. This time, however, my body overflowed with it. It wasn't quite painful, but I felt dislocated from my senses, tossed into a maelstrom of energy that I could not hope to contain or control. Just when I was sure I could hold no more, the overwhelming chaos of the power receded. My body slowly accepted and incorporated the foreign energy. As my senses returned, I felt it tingling throughout my body, and when I opened my eyes I realized that I was faintly glowing. The room was suffused with the overpowering smell of honeysuckle.

"I'm hungry," I said. It was, in fact, the first time that I had really been hungry in two weeks, and certainly the first time I had been able to speak in a normal voice without coughing for an hour.

"This is fantastic!" I said, stretching my joints with relish. The sheer joy of not having a fever, of being able to move without excruciating pain and being able to talk made a week suddenly seem like a long time to live. I didn't feel quite normal, though. If anything, I felt a little high. Every time I moved I felt the magic inside me shift and run in rivulets through my body. I could feel it permeate my entire system, and I began to realize why magic was a poison. Like any drug, it had its uses, but its abuse destroyed my body. The magic within me was like a reservoir; right now I was filled with it, but when it ran out I would feel the effects. I realized this, but the knowledge didn't seem to touch me. I stood up and began to stretch energetically, completely forgetting about Petunia's silent presence.

"Serena?" she said, finally.

"Yes?"

"You only have a week, maybe a few days more. Don't waste them."

---------------------

It did not take us long to pack. I rolled the sleeping mats while Petunia packed food and other supplies. I wasn't really paying attention; I was three days away from seeing Mamoru again, and I could not contain my excitement. It was strange, until this forced separation, we had spent practically every moment together for the past two and a half months. I had grown so used to his constant presence that his absence left me with an almost physical ache. I ate breakfast and checked the cabin to see if we had forgotten anything. It was remarkably bare of amenities, and I wondered how long Petunia had lived here.

"How many of these extra houses do you have, anyway?" I asked.

"This isn't mine," she said softly, "it belonged to a friend. She died in the plague."

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, while I mentally hit myself over the head. Somehow I had forgotten how much this conflict would have personally affected Petunia. She seemed so distant sometimes that I forgot she was just as vulnerable. After a few moments, however, Petunia changed the subject.

"We have to find you something to wear," she said, looking at the slightly large and shabby white kimono that she had lent me.

"What's wrong with this?"

"I've heard that the Senku and Tokei prefectures are fighting up north, and we have to go through there to reach the crossing to Yonde. I don't want to attract too much attention, and that's what two women riding on horseback without the presence of a man would do."

"So you're saying..."

"We should disguise ourselves as men."

"But we don't have any clothes."

"I got some from the village this morning," she said.

"And how many guys have these poking out of their shirts?" I asked, pointing to my breasts.

"We'll bind them."

I grimaced. "And my hair?"

"We have to cut it. Even with the disguises we can't avoid all harassment, but at least we don't risk attempted rape." The way she said 'attempted' made me look at her curiously, and I realized that this wasn't a matter of protection--both of us could do that with ease. However, we needed to keep a low profile. It would be devastating for Herman to learn of our presence before we arrived.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I knew that this would be the least of my problems.

---------------------

To my shame, I cried a little when Petunia cut my hair. When she had finished, a mass of golden blonde hair littered the floor behind me. I turned and looked into the small mirror set against the back wall. My hair was now cropped as close to my head as Mamoru's, and it made me look unflatteringly masculine. Petunia's hair had grown since the last I had seen her, so after allowing me a few moments to mourn the loss of my hair, she let me take a few whacks at her own with the scissors.

"Do you think we should dye my hair?" I asked.

Petunia shook her head. "You just look like a Hokusai, that's all. We're heading up North, anyway. People with your coloring are more common there."

I tried to forget about my hair as Petunia bound my breasts with torn strips of linen. I did the same for Petunia, and then watched as she completed her disguise. She wore the rough, homespun leggings, breeches and tunic of a peasant and a conic straw hat that shadowed her face.

"It's easier for me to play the servant since I'm so much shorter," she said.

I shrugged and put on a gray shirt that to crossed in front and tied in back. Tucked into the black wide pants, the shirt was baggy enough to cover the slight swell of my hips. When I put on the traditional socks and sturdier riding sandals, I presented a fairly convincing picture. I looked like a sixteen or seventeen year old boy; a slightly effeminate one, perhaps, but no one would question me. The change was so effective that I had to laugh a little, and my giddy pirouette ruined my dignified image.

Petunia looked at me for a moment, and then turned her back to me.

"Come on," she said, "let's load the horses."

I had no idea how she had obtained such good horses from this remote area. She had tethered them outside the house and we loaded them silently

"We might look more convincing if we had swords," Petunia said. "But it might be easier to avoid confrontation without them. Oh, it won't matter. We have to leave now if we want to make it to an inn before dark. Are you ready?"

I tried to think of some heartening response to this, but settled on a nod. I was as ready as I could be, under the circumstances. It would have to be enough.

---------------------

After a month of riding sidesaddle, the freedom of my masculine form was at first exhilarating. By the end of the day, however, I was incredibly saddle sore and I tried not to hobble when Petunia and I entered the small inn. I fell asleep before I had a chance to eat, but Petunia only gave me enough time for a few bites before she made us leave the next morning. By the time we stopped for lunch, I wondered if I would ever walk normally again.

"Petunia," I said after I had finished eating, interrupting her nap, "how do you feel about all of this? I mean, about Herman. He is your brother, after all. Do you know _why_ he's doing this?"

At first I wasn't sure if she would answer my question because her eyes were closed, but a few moments later she began to speak. "I'm mad at him, of course. Incredibly mad. Herman...it's strange, he was never cruel before, just pathetic. I think you call it a Napoleon complex these days. He is addicted to power. When we came into this world, almost four hundred years ago, there was no ruling family. Every state fought each other for dominance; the entire country was wracked with civil war. So I took myself off to explore, and Herman coldly analyzed his advantages. He picked the second most powerful lord, offered him his services, and proceeded to help that family conquer the entire country. As long as the Nakatomi clan has ruled Umeru, Herman has been quietly pulling the strings in the background, and I've hung around to try and keep an eye on him. I always knew that something like this _could_ happen...Herman wants power, and when he doesn't get his way, he gets unstable. I didn't know about the Princess...you don't know how many times I've wished I found out about her before he did. The seventh moon...I hadn't realized it before I read his book, Serena, but it has been his obsession long before I was even aware of its existence."

"And...have you discovered anything? Anything I can use?"

She sighed. "Over seventy years Herman documented every scrap of information he ever learned about it. He knows it's yearly cycle, how the shadow of the rabbit moon makes it permanently dark, how it is closer in certain times of the year than others. He even combed the cities on nights when it was in ascendance to find all the babies born then, hoping that one of them may be an Aranu or a Kanare. And after gathering all that information, the only thing he managed to conclude is that its power can only be harnessed by even more power, enough to subdue it to his will. So, he says, the key to it cannot be the Kanare, who are never that powerful, but the Aranu, who can amplify someone like him into a god. I'm not even sure he's right."

I thought of Mamoru, traveling with a frighteningly small army to the stronghold of this unpredictable megalomaniac.

I shuddered.

---------------------

Our journey continued uneventfully until the evening of the third day. Tired from hard riding in a cold winter rain, it looked as though we might not make it to a town by dark. The effects of the war between the Senku and Tokei prefectures surrounded us; we had had to change our route a dozen times just to avoid petty skirmishes. While the main battles were being fought fifty miles to our east, the violence had spilled into the countryside and surrounding towns. We were constantly on our guard for groups of soldiers; neither Petunia nor I wanted the notoriety we would gain from defending ourselves. Hopefully Herman would have no idea that I was coming, and it would remain that way until I somehow managed to defeat him--or not, as the case may be.

That evening my nerves felt like exposed wires; I had been in a state of constant alert all day. I could tell from Petunia's stance and shifting eyes that she was on edge also. For the past hour we had seen absolutely no other travelers on the road. The only noise was the nervous snorting of our horses and the wet slop of their hooves walking in mud. Then I heard a strange noise, like the metallic shiver of a sword being edged out of its scabbard. I reined in sharply. Petunia had already done so.

She cursed. "I was afraid of this."

"What?"

"Impressment," she said.

The term sounded familiar. "Um, could you elaborate?"

"Factioned armies. They often try to capture men and force them into service. That's the downside of our present costumes. I was hoping it wouldn't be an issue, but..."

"So you mean they might actually attack us?"

"Not to kill, but we might have some problems. They're waiting just a little ahead."

"Well, we can defend ourselves, right?" I asked.

She turned to look at me. "I can, but...I'd rather you not use magic until you absolutely have to. I think it might be better if--" She broke off when we heard sounds of horse hooves wading through the mud towards us. "They're not waiting, are they?" She shook her head. "Serena, get the hell out of here. I'll distract them. Get to the next village as quickly as you can. I don't know how long I'll be--I'd rather not make a big scene, but you have to get to Yonde. We're not too far away; three days, perhaps. You can ask directions at the inn, it's a straight shot."

"But, Petunia--" I said, suddenly terrified. I didn't want to be left alone.

A man walked towards us, having seemingly materialized from behind the sparse foliage beside the road.

"How would you two like to join service in the illustrious army of Daimyo Hiroshi? When we win, each who fought will be a wealthy man." His carefully trained longbow and those of two of his friends made his argument far more compelling. Petunia and I locked eyes for a minute and I nodded imperceptibly. As much as I hated to continue on my own, it was preferable to not getting there at all. I watched Petunia's lips silently count to three and then all hell broke loose. I had already turned my horse away and was galloping past the men before they even realized what was happening. I heard groans and muffled curses behind me, but I did not dare to turn around to see what Petunia had used as a distraction.

"I may not catch up!" I heard her scream as I made my escape. "But Serena, please, for my sake, don't do anything stupid!"

And then I was gone.

---------------------

Over the next three days I continued on alone. As I came closer to Yonde, I noticed the increasingly frequent evidence of warfare: fields had been burned and abandoned, yellow bolts of cloth warning of the plague hung above villages and sometimes whole towns reeked of death. These disturbed me, but in a distant way. My excitement about seeing Mamoru again coupled with my natural high from Petunia's spell made all other issues seem peripheral. I did worry that I couldn't contact Petunia through our bond, though. She felt too distant, almost as though she was no longer in Umeru. I wondered what she was doing, but this was hardly the first time she had disappeared, for reasons she never bothered to explain.

The bulk of the army, it appeared, had not made the crossing to Yonde, but the royally appropriated ships waited in the harbor should the need arise. The army was camped just outside the small but bustling harbor town, and I wondered what possible good Lord Nakatomi's army could do on the wrong island.

I walked warily into the camp, and answered the posted sentry's questions in a forcefully calm voice. Since I didn't know what had happened--or where Mamoru was--I thought it better to keep up the appearance of being a young boy.

"I bring a message," I said, "for Lord Nakatomi."

The man lowered his large crossbow a little. "A message from who?"

"The Lady," I said.

He still looked suspicious. "Why does she not come here to deliver it herself?" he asked.

"She has been captured," I said "It is very important that I speak with his Lordship. Escort me to him yourself, and keep your weapon on me if you think I'm dangerous, but this cannot wait."

To my surprise, he did exactly that. Without speaking, he poked the arrowhead gently into my back and I sprang forward. I walked through the camp, trailed by the curious stares of the men. We stopped in front of a large tent in the center of the camp. The sentry lowered his crossbow and looked at me threateningly.

"Don't move from this spot, boy, or I'll..." he left the threat unfinished, and I tried my best to look suitably impressed. Giving me one last hard look, he walked inside the tent. He came out a few moments later, holding the tent flap open.

"He says you can come in. And mind yourself in his Lordship's presence, boy."

I grit my teeth, said something appropriately polite, and entered the tent.

---------------------

It was not exactly dark, but a sharp contrast from the abrasive light of the sun. I blinked a few times, and after a moment my vision cleared. Kneeling on a silk pillow before a low table covered in maps was a man I assumed was Lord Nakatomi. He looked up when I came in, and his relatively youthful features immediately startled me. He was only in his mid thirties. He smiled pleasantly and I realized that he did not recognize me. Not that he would, of course, after only meeting me once--and nominally unconscious, at that.

"You have news from the Lady?" he asked.

I nodded.

He narrowed his eyes. "Strange...have I seen you somewhere, boy? You seem familiar. What is this news you claim to bear?"

Since there didn't seem to be a good reason to keep up the pretense anymore, I told him the truth. "I'm Serena. Mamoru's companion."

"You're Serena?" Lord Nakatomi asked, probably trying to reconcile me with the swooning girl in Mamoru's arms. "The plague--"

I interrupted him, hoping to get off the subject of my recent illness. "The Lady healed me. We were on our way here together, but we were waylaid by some faction seeking us for impressment." I paused, noting how his eyes hardened. "She used herself as a distraction that allowed me to get away."

"How does she fare?" he asked.

"She's still alive, if that's what you mean," I said with a lopsided smile. "It will take a lot more than a gang of half-starved men with crossbows to stop Petunia--I mean, the Lady."

He paused for a moment, then smiled in acknowledgment. "The disguise, I assume, was a means of protection?" he asked. While too polite to raise his eyebrows, I hadn't spent so much time with Mamoru without learning how to recognize a smirk.

I held myself rigidly. "Of course," I said.

"My dear, while I'm sure the Lady values all lives highly...why exactly did she..." he trailed off.

"Why did she bother risking her life to save mine?" I said. Lord Nakatomi looked momentarily startled and then nodded.

"I am the Lady's protégé," I said. That was the easiest way to explain our relationship. "As you recall, I believe the last time you saw me I was in a state of exhaustion, having brought both Lita and Mamoru here to your world." I paused. "By the way, Lita is okay, isn't she?" the thought of all the trouble that insane seventeen year old could get into without constant supervision made me shudder.

Lord Nakatomi laughed ruefully. "She's fine," he said. "As I recall, she caused quite a ruckus when she discovered you were missing. She has continued in much the same vein since."

I smiled. "I can imagine. As I was saying, because the Lady is unable to fight the Kojin herself," I said, "she has sent me in her stead. The matter, you understand, is deeply involved in the arcane arts, but blood kin are incapable of casting magic against each other." I cringed at my own pretentiousness, but clearly a bit of pomposity did not run amiss in Lord Nakatomi's presence. "But," I said, "I find it strange that Mamoru did not tell you all of this. Where is he?"

Lord Nakatomi suddenly looked nervous.

"Serena," he said gently, and just from his expression I knew that I wouldn't like her news. He couldn't be dead, I would have known if he were dead. But how would I? I had been miles away, half dead myself. Thankfully, Mamoru wasn't dead.

No, instead he had taken the first ferry to Yonde, and walked, unarmed, straight into the bosom of the enemy.

---------------------

It had been an _arrangement_, Lord Nakatomi explained after I had been restrained by his watchful steward. After struggling for a few moments in his powerful grip I relented.

"You let him _what_?" I shouted, wishing that I could have had the pleasure to scream at the idiot in person.

Considering that he probably hadn't expected a violent attack from a cross-dressing female who described his parentage--among other things--in distinctly unflattering terms, Lord Nakatomi seemed remarkably calm.

"I gather that you are unfamiliar with the art of war in this country, but such bargains are not uncommon. Enemies often exchange hostages for the purposes of negotiations," he said.

"Oh, is that what you call it?" I said, and my nails dug even further into my palms. " 'Negotiations?' Is that what you'll say when they toss his broken, bleeding carcass into the river, just before they rout you and your army?" There was a sob in my voice as I said that, but I choked it back.

"Hence the reason we have a hostage as well," he said evenly, but I could tell that my hysteria was beginning to grate on his nerves. "If they do anything to Mamoru, they can be the assured that we will do the same to their own man. He is as safe as he can be, under the circumstances."

"How do you know that they just didn't send the sandal boy?" I asked. "How can you be assured of their good conduct?"

"If Mamoru's reaction was any indication," he said with aggravating smugness, "I'd say that you need not worry about his importance."

"Oh? Who is it?"

Lord Nakatomi hammered his advantage. "A man they call Ushiro."

---------------------

Well, he managed to shut me up, at least. During the remainder of our brief meeting I was unable to do much more than nod in agreement. I was suddenly aware of how far I had traveled and how little I had slept. I could feel that the pool of magic within my body, so full at the beginning of this week, was now dangerously low. If I did not act within the next few days, I would be unable to act at all.

When a soldier led me to a tent where I could rest, I looked about nervously for Ushiro, afraid that he would creep out of the shadows and kill me the moment my back was turned. According to Lord Nakatomi, Ushiro was safely imprisoned on the edge of the camp, but I was not inclined to believe that mere manpower could hold a man like Ushiro against his will. I had almost convinced myself that I would be safe for the night when something barreled straight into me and knocked me to the ground. I didn't even have time to attempt to defend myself. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised find a pink-faced Lita straddling my body, beaming.

"You came back!" she said, pushing her unkempt mane of brown hair out of her eyes. "I didn't recognize you at first. You cut all your hair! Was it because of the sickness?" she asked. "Or no! It was because you had to disguise yourself as a man to escape the dishonorable designs of highwaymen!"

She bounced a little as she said this, in obvious raptures, which made it difficult for me to breathe.

"Lita," I said carefully, "why don't you get off of me, and then we can talk, all right?"

"Oh! Sorry about that." She got up.

I stood up, wiping the dirt fruitlessly from my travel-stained clothes. Clearly my concerns had been misplaced. "You're definitely okay," I said, half to myself.

"Of course I was," Lita said, looking at me curiously. "Where did you think I had gone?"

I shook my head, feeling a little geriatric. I barely had enough energy to stand upright, and Lita looked as if she could stay up for a week straight without a problem.

To relieve her curiosity, I told Lita a highly edited version of events since I had seen her last once we went inside my tent. She particularly enjoyed my account of how Mamoru rescued me from the murderous villagers, and carried me in his arms to Petunia. I grimaced at the memory. Thankfully, I was able to steer the conversation towards what Lita had been doing in my absence.

"I've been learning the katana," she said. "I'm not very good yet, but I've changed my mind about going to college."

I grinned. "So what's your new life plan?"

"I'm going to be a master swordswoman," she said, and swiped the air a couple times with an imaginary sword.

"Good luck," I said. "So, who did you rope into teaching you?"

"Oh...well, now Hiroshi over on the other side of camp is, but that's because Mamoru made him promise before he left."

At the mention of Mamoru I had to bite my cheek to keep from cursing out loud. The more I thought about what he had done, the angrier I became.

Lita saw the change in my expression. "I don't think he had much of a choice, Serena," she said softly. "He said he had to buy time for you to get here. I think if he hadn't done it, the Kojin's army would have attacked immediately. I think everyone here would die if we actually had to fight him."

I knew she was right, but it was a bitter pill to swallow. "When did he leave?" I asked.

"Yesterday morning," Lita said. "He gave me--I mean, um, never mind."

"He gave you what?" I asked, my heart suddenly in my throat.

She sighed. "He gave me a letter for you. But he made me swear not to give it to you unless he died."

The hand I had eagerly raised to take the letter dropped slowly. "I see," I said. "And how were we supposed to know that he had died?"

"He told me that if the Kojin attacked, I could assume he was dead."

---------------------

I looked at Lita, and wondered if she still hadn't realized the gravity of our situation. Sometimes it seemed like nothing could pierce her bubble of optimism. Yet, as I watched her bright green eyes grow a little grim, I realized that Lita had never been truly unaware of the danger, she just half-believed that she was immortal. So had I once, but several life-and death chases and a plague later, I no longer had that confidence."I know," Lita said with forced cheerfulness. "we'll play a game. Word association. I used to play it with my mom. Okay, I'll start: horse."

"Barn," I said, yawning. God, I was exhausted.

"Hay."

"Mamoru." I snuggled deeper into the futon.

Serena?" she said, "Serena are you awake?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, I give up. You're no fun to talk to at all. I wish Mamoru were here," she said petulantly.

"So do I," I said.

---------------------

The next morning I awoke just after dawn. I wondered why I was awake voluntarily before my bladder informed me of the problem. Grumbling, I crawled out of bed and staggered outside. A persistent mist that clung to my skin and made it difficult to breathe obscured the rising sun. I shivered; this far north, late fall felt like winter. The soldiers who were awake gave me curious stares as I passed through the camp. Surely I was not the only person trying to find a quiet place to relieve herself? Then I realized that I had unbound my breasts for the night, and they were now pushing my shirt out a bit more than could be accounted for by male anatomy. I kept walking, trying to find a place that would shield them from more conclusive evidence of my sex. Not far from the camp was a small sparsely wooded area that looked ideal. Taking a quick glance around to make sure that no one else was near, I lowered my voluminous pants and relieved myself. A rabbit darted off, frightened.

"It isn't _that_ scary," I muttered.

"Quite the contrary," said a voice from behind me. For a bizarre moment I thought that the rabbit had responded, and then I realized why I recognized the voice. I pulled up my pants and spun around.

It was Ushiro.

---------------------

I gaped at him for a few moments, knowing that I should run, but somehow unable to move from my spot.

He noted my paralysis and laughed. It was not a pleasant laugh, and I particularly did not enjoy the way his black eyes raked my body, moving from my face down to my feet and back again. I wanted to slap him, but I knew he could overpower me in a second if I tried.

"While I must say that the long hair is more becoming, short hair suits you." My face must have registered some of my shock because he laughed again. "Oh, you thought I would not recognize you? I was informed of your arrival yesterday. You don't look so very different from when I saw you last, after all."

The cold malice in his voice made me shudder, and my eyes involuntarily searched his neck for the long, jagged scar, evidence of our violent encounter three months ago.

"Oh yes," he said, "I haven't forgotten about that either." His hand traced the scar gently. "And I intend to return the favor, my dear."

At this I managed to back up a little, wondering if I dared use magic to defend myself against him. My face, always expressive, must have been as clear as a pane of glass that morning, because he smirked a little and shook his head ruefully.

"No, I'm afraid that we will have to wait for another time. As you can see, I am a bit indisposed at the moment." He jerked his head towards two armed guards standing some ten yards behind us. In my fear, I had totally overlooked them.

"Rest assured," he said, "I will keep the appointment." He bared his teeth in a horrible parody of a smile, and they glinted in the misty light. Suddenly I was free from my paralysis and I sprinted away, heedless of the path I took.

Back among the trees, just before he approached, I had smelled something strange. A smell that I could now easily place. Peppermint.

---------------------

"Are you sure you weren't just nervous?" Lord Nakatomi asked for the tenth time. He looked annoyed, but so was I.

"I assure you," I said, gritting my teeth behind the formality, "that however surprised I may have been, I could not have mistaken the smell."

"We have taken every precaution with him. I know how dangerous he is. He is under double guard twenty-four hours a day and we strip searched him before he entered the camp. Where could he possibly be keeping this amulet?"  
"I don't know!" I practically shouted, and then wrestled to control my voice. "Ushiro must have known you would do that. He must have hid the talisman someplace you couldn't find it."

"Where do you hide a talisman on a naked man?" Lord Nakatomi asked.

I was about to make an indelicate suggestion, but then thought better of it. He couldn't have kept it up there anyway. Sooner or later, someone would have noticed. No, he must be keeping it in a more insidious location, although I admitted that I could not think of one at the moment.

"What makes you so sure that he has a talisman, in any case?" he asked again.

I sighed. "Every single time I have run into that man he has had a talisman. You would think that the Kojin had a storehouse full of the things, seeing how much he uses them. I highly doubt he would have let himself be a hostage in an enemy camp without that protection."

Lord Nakatomi sighed, and clasped his tiredly in his lap. "I can't take definitive action until you can come up with something more conclusive, but I will instruct my guards to keep a closer eye on him."

There would be no more concessions, I realized. I nodded and left the tent before I bit through my cheek. Didn't he understand that if Ushiro had a talisman, it wouldn't matter if the guards "kept a closer eye?" And to top it off, I had a day, two days at most, before the magical poisoning as well as the plague took their hold of me again. With Petunia inexplicably out of reach through our bond, I was completely on my own. I could not blame Lord Nakatomi for being skeptical; he hadn't been chased across two worlds by a man intent on blood vengeance. Like Mamoru, he had probably doubted the existence of magic until now.

I decided to take a walk into the harbor and back. The ten miles ought to take me most of the morning. At least that way I wouldn't have to deal with Lord "are you sure you're not overreacting" Nakatomi.

While my first instinct was to plunge into the Kojin's stronghold and go after Mamoru, Petunia's warning rang fresh in my ears. Even without her, I would have realized the stupidity of such a move. Mamoru had surrendered himself to buy me time, not so I could find another way to kill myself. I wondered if there were any way to entice Herman out of his stronghold, but I doubted that he would be so stupid. My only real chance would be if I could somehow get near him without his knowledge. While I doubted that I had a chance in a straight duel with Herman, I did have a slight advantage if I could manage a surprise attack. I would discuss it with Lord Nakatomi when I returned; between the two of us we had to come up with something.

It took me two hours to reach the bustling port town. I walked through the crowded warren of hard-packed dirt streets, breathing in the smell of saltwater, fresh fish and human excrement. Close to the docks I found an outdoor soba noodle stand and ordered some food. I ate it with an accompaniment of strong wind that made the old ships creak in the harbor and blew a steady spray of saltwater over the docks. My walk back was much slower on a full stomach, and to my surprise I saw that the sun was setting by the time I reached the camp. This far north the sun set early, but I had still been gone almost all day. I went to see Lord Nakatomi as soon as I arrived, but his guard said that he was in a meeting, and could not be persuaded to disturb him.

"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" I asked aloud. A passing soldier winked at me.

"I'll listen to you, honey," he said.

I flipped him a coin. "Go find yourself a whore."

---------------------

Lita actually did listen to me. After Lord Nakatomi's guards had rebuffed me for the fifth time in as many hours, I decided to look for her. When I found her energetically swinging a bamboo pole in the air on the edge of camp, she seemed to welcome a distraction. We talked as we walked back to my tent.

"If he smells like peppermint and he's had this talisman thingy with Herman's magic in it every time before, why won't Lord Nakatomi take you seriously?"

"I don't know. I think he's a misogynist."

"Misogynist?"

"Never mind. The point is, I don't know what to do. He won't listen to me and I have to find out how to get to Mamoru before I run out of time."

Lita stared at me. "Why would you run out of time? I'm sure it would be okay if we took a week to come up with something."

I was trying to come up with some explanation when I heard a strange sound--like the call of nightingale, except I hadn't known nightingales flew this far north.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

I heard it again. "That. It's like a nightingale, but strange. Can't you hear it?"

"Oh yeah," Lita said. "I heard it." She looked around nervously and lowered her head to mine. "I think it's coming from over there, behind those prickle bushes," she whispered.

"We should go tell Lord--"

"No way! Let's go check it out first," Lita said and dragged me forward. The bird calls quieted as we approached and I was suddenly terrified.

"Lita," I whispered, "this is stupid. Let's go back and get a soldier to help us."

Lita's eyes were actually gleaming with excitement. "Oh fine, be a spoilsport. I'll go on my own, then."

Before I could stop her, Lita let go of my hand and strode purposefully to the tangle of bushes. She peeked her head in and walked through. I sprinted after her, but it was too late. I heard the sound of rustling fabric and twigs snapping followed by a muffled shriek. Oh, shit. I stopped just in front of the bushes and peered through. Lita was struggling in the arms of a much taller and stronger man. He held her in what looked like a painfully tight grip and was pressing knife to her throat. Ushiro and two other men stood around her.

The man who held Lita looked at her face and then spat. "Damn it, we got the wrong one," he said.

Ushiro looked around, and then smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "She's out there somewhere." He took the knife from the other man's hands and pressed it to Lita's throat himself. "Okay," he said in a loud voice. "The time for games is over. Either you come here now or she gets killed. I do not bluff."

Lita whimpered.

I had run out of expletives. Unfortunately, I had also run out of time. Trying to make myself seem as calm as I could, I pushed my way through the prickle bushes. Moments later strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt the cold edge of a knife on my throat before I could make a noise of protest. My heart pounded furiously, but I kept myself unnaturally still, knowing how little provocation it would take for my assailant to slice my neck with that sharp knife.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so easy," Ushiro said, his mouth right beside my ear.

"I could scream," I said breathlessly.

"I expect you could, but then, you wouldn't even know if your friends had heard you, because you would be dead, and we would be far away."

"Aren't...aren't you going to kill me anyway?" I asked, and was pleased to hear a touch of sarcasm in my voice.

He laughed, and his breath was hot on my neck. "It would be a pleasure, but I think that I will save that particular treat for later."

He tossed the knife aside and pinned me to the ground before I could struggle, his eyes gleaming with something other than the moonlight. I struggled violently, but fruitlessly.

"Get away from her!" Lita yelled, but she was being held by one of the other men, and was just as helpless.

Physically, at least, there was no way to get out of this situation. I was frantically contemplating whether or not to damn him to hell and use magic when his lips met mine with a savagery that made me lose the power of coherent thought altogether. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Other than Mamoru, I had kissed only two other men, and with none had I ever experienced this kind of single-minded brutality. Even had I wanted to participate, I couldn't have. His breath was hot, and his mouth tasted strongly of peppermint. He gripped me so tightly that the chain of my amulet threatened to choke me. No longer able to stomach this gruesome parody of love, I clamped my teeth down on his tongue.

I have heard that the jaw is one of the most powerful muscles in the body, capable of exerting over two hundred pounds of pressure. I don't know how much pressure I exerted, but I do know that I was terrified and pissed as hell. I felt an almost feral sense of satisfaction when I tasted his metallic, sweet blood in my mouth. He let off a muffled yell, and pulled back abruptly. Occupied with whatever damage I had done to his tongue, he loosened his hold on me, and I was able to scramble from beneath him. Without pausing to think, I sprinted in the direction of the camp, but before I had gone more than three steps I ran straight into the arms of two disreputable-looking men waiting on the edge of the area by the prickle bushes. Lita had more luck. In the confusion she managed to sprint away before anyone could catch her. The man who had been holding her was cursing and nursing his foot. I allowed myself a small smile.

"Tie her up," Ushiro said. His words were muffled by his hand, and oddly enunciated but the undercurrent of malice was clear. They bound my wrists and ankles with rope. For now, at least, they had effectively subdued me. While I could use magic to free myself, I was afraid that using it would only make the magical poisoning afterwards that much worse.

Another possibility had also occurred to me. Strangely enough, it seemed as though none of these people knew I could use magic. Even Ushiro's behavior had given me no reason to think that he was wary on that count, which was unlike the detail-oriented sociopath I thought I knew. I couldn't imagine how they had managed to overlook it; the first time I met Ushiro I had disappeared in front of his eyes, not to mention the countless other times that I had used magic around him. If this were true, I could use their ignorance to my advantage.

I sat still when Ushiro walked towards me. He took his hand from his mouth, and I was pleased to see that he spat blood. Without preamble he raised a booted foot and kicked me in the side. Reeling from the pain, but biting my tongue to keep from crying out, I rolled over, and looked straight into his slightly crazed eyes.

"Bitch," he said. "You have the Kojin to thank that I don't kill you now." He kicked me again and I could have sworn that I heard my ribs crack. Where was everyone? At least Lita could tell the others what had happened. I had wanted to find a method of getting inside the Kojin's fortress, but I hadn't considered getting captured as an option.

"Is something funny?" he asked.

I held my silence defiantly, and almost welcomed the boot that connected with my jaw and sent me sprawling into oblivion.

---------------------

I awoke on a boat making the crossing to Yonde. I kept my eyes closed and tried to hear if anyone was close enough to notice my return to consciousness. What noise I did hear was muffled, so I opened my eyes. It seemed that I had been dumped among sacks of what smelled like dried fish. From my position, I only had a view of my captors' feet, but I did not dare sit up to see more. The ropes were still as tight as ever, so I used small amount of magic to loosen them. Better that they thought me still bound and helpless, for now.

I thought of Mamoru and wondered what Herman had done with him, if he was still alive. I blinked back tears. Hopefully, I would see him soon. The boards of the ship groaned as it shuddered to a halt. We must be landing, which meant that someone was bound to come looking for me soon. I lay back down in roughly the same position and tried to look as helpless as possible. Moments later, I heard Ushiro's grating voice order someone to grab me. The man was not gentle, and I had to bite back a gasp when he grabbed my waist. He slung me over his shoulder, and did not seem to care when my head hit the side of ship as he climbed down the ladder.

He tossed me into a dingy, and climbed in after me, heedless of the water that splashed inside. The little boat had just barely gotten underway when I heard Ushiro's harsh voice next to my ear.

"No need to pretend anymore, or should I let Taro carry you again?" His swollen tongue rendered the words less intelligible, but not less threatening. Cursing inwardly, I cracked open an eye and saw Ushiro glaring at me.

"That's better. I knew you had to be awake."

"No thanks to you," I said, sitting up and rubbing my jaw.

He raised his eyebrows. "That's the least of your worries."

I shrugged and looked away. I had no desire to discuss my impending death with my probable killer. "You haven't killed me yet," I said. I looked out across the mist at the choppy waves, and shivered, not entirely with cold. The moons were hidden tonight--the stars gave the only light.

"Where are we going?" I asked, wishing my hands were free so I could try to warm them.

"You didn't think the Kojin would be easy to find, did you? It has taken some doing," he said, "but there is no escape now."

I watched the serpentine undulations of the sea, and prayed.

---------------------

Minutes later, the boat stopped in front of what was, as far as I could tell, a sheer cliff face. Ushiro reached inside his mouth and violently wrenched out a silver tooth. I winced--it was covered in blood and saliva. It also reeked of peppermint, which solved the riddle of Ushiro's hidden talisman. The tooth glowed momentarily while he used the spell contained within to reveal a cave on the edge of the cliff face.

The small boat just barely fit between the rock walls, and if I had been claustrophobic, that would have been a particularly tortuous trip. Torches lining the walls at irregular intervals only momentarily relieved the inky blackness. We traveled through the cave for about ten minutes before landing on a small underground beach. Taro picked me up again and carried me up a series of rough-hewn stairs. At the top of the stairs, most of the men peeled off in other directions, but Taro, Ushiro and I continued down a torch-lit hallway. At Ushiro's instruction Taro opened a door and dumped me inside. The room had an unnatural brightness to it, almost as though it used fluorescent lighting.

"Inform the Kojin that I have arrived," Ushiro said. Taro bowed and Ushiro closed the door behind him. Ushiro stared silently at me. The silence stretched on. Then, with uncanny speed, he knelt beside me and drew out a dagger. It glinted as he turned it, but I forced myself to look in his eyes rather than the blade. I was fairly sure that he wouldn't kill me; everything he had said up till then indicated that he planned to take me to the Kojin first. I was, however, certain that Ushiro had no qualms about inflicting pain.

"There's nothing you can do now." He smiled, and I clenched my hands, preparing to prove the inaccuracy of that statement. Before I could react, however, he brought the knife forward and sliced my cheek. It didn't hurt, but I felt the hot blood sliding down my face. I glared at him.

"Oh, was that unpleasant?" he asked. "I only regret we have no time for more. Come, it's time to meet your benefactor." To my surprise, he picked me up himself, and carried me to a door set in the side of the small room. The fortress was dark and much of it looked the same, so I had lost all track of where he was taking me by the time he stopped before a door at the top of a staircase.

After taking off his shoes outside, Ushiro opened the sliding doors and entered. For some reason, he had taken me to a traditional tea house. In the center of the room, two figures knelt across from each other on the reed mats. At first, I only saw the back of the man closest to me. Then I saw the other.

"Serena!" Mamoru said, and then turned angrily to the one whose face I could not see. "You promised not to harm her or anyone else so long as I came."

Ushiro tossed me to the mats and I rolled into a sitting position. "She's not hurt," he said curtly.

Mamoru looked back and forth between us before his eyes settled on my figure. My breath came short as I stared into his hard eyes. At least he was alive, I thought, and he looked unhurt. I felt tears pricking my eyes, and bit my tongue to stop them from coming. I had wanted to see him so badly for so long...

"Your face," he said softly, "your hair."

The cut had stopped bleeding, but I imagined that the dried blood was not a reassuring sight. I had to do something to stop him--he would undermine my efforts before I even began.

"Oh," I said, rolling my eyes, "is that all you can think of at a time like this? My appearance? Always trust Mamo-chan to think of the essentials."

"Don't call me that," he said grinning, and his eyes held that familiar glint I had longed to see again.

The other man turned around. While I knew intellectually that long vampire fangs, beady cat-like eyes and bleached white hair were highly improbable features, I had expected the Kojin to cut a slightly more imposing figure than he did. He looked like Petunia. He had the same disconcerting violet eyes, although his hair was a curly brown, not peroxide blonde. From his seated position, he looked at least two inches shorter than Mamoru and he had a paunch. To all appearances, he was a normal, middle-aged male. The way he smiled, however, spreading his thin lips without once bearing his teeth, was inexplicably menacing.

"I somehow expected a more touching reunion," he said.

His voice was strange, almost gentle, with a hint of a falsetto. I stared at him blankly for a moment. He couldn't possibly know about our relationship. He had to be guessing, and the less he knew the safer we would be.

"I...can't imagine why you would," I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "What possible reason did you have to bring me here?"

I avoided looking at Mamoru, but in the corner of my eye I saw his eyebrows come together and then his small smile of approval.

"As insurance of his good behavior, of course," Herman said, gesturing towards Mamoru.

Mamoru laughed. His mask was firmly in place. "Of all possible hostages, you have surely picked the most useless," he said. To all eyes except mine he seemed in control of the situation. But I noticed how his voice was slightly higher than normal, how his hands gripped each other to avoid betraying how they shook, and how he never looked in my direction. Mamoru was scared shitless, and so was I. Perhaps if we could convince Herman of my worthlessness as a hostage he would release me, but he might also just kill me anyway. We were taking a huge gamble, and we both knew it.

Herman's face remained impassive. "I find it hard to believe that you failed to develop any attachment to her after nearly four months of daily contact. She's quite beautiful."

Mamoru shrugged. "She's passable," he said. "Looks aside, I would let her die for a smaller price than my own life. The only thing I learned after four months was that the only person I might hate more than her is yourself."

I tried to maintain my composure as he spoke. His words cut far deeper than they should have--I knew he was doing it to save me.

Herman narrowed his eyes a little, and turned to me. "Is this true?" he asked.

I braced myself. "The first time I met him his friends almost slit my throat. As for these 'four months' you keep talking about, getting hurt, almost dying, passing out in front of an army and catching a plague all because of _him_ is hardly a reason to fall in love. I'll be glad when I can get away from him forever."

I avoided looking at Mamoru as I said this, but I couldn't help sneaking a glance at the end of my speech. His mask had dropped for a moment, revealing an expression of resigned self-blame that made my stomach knot.

Herman stood up, looked at each of us in turn, and then made an interminable circuit of the room. The long silence tore at my nerves.

"You must think I am very stupid," he said finally, in that same deceptively mild voice. I wanted to punch him, or scream, or do anything proactive, but I hardly dared to breathe. "My sister took you from our world, but you could have forced him to send you back at any time. Why would you have stayed to help him unless you had feelings for him?" He eyed my bonds meaningfully. "No one would put themselves in this position unless they were in love."

"I was kidnapped!" I protested, pointing to Ushiro who stood silently by the doorway. "That bastard dragged me here. What does...Mamoru have to do with this?" My hesitation was slight, but he still heard the catch in my voice before I said Mamoru's name.

Herman smiled indulgently. "I can feel the spell my sister cast that allowed you to come here. That's all the proof I need."

I did not have to look at Mamoru to know how this enigmatic sentence scared him. I did look at Herman, and in his eyes I saw a dare: if I could tell Mamoru what this spell was, then perhaps he would believe our story. We both knew who would win. After a moment I looked away.

"Now that we have gotten the preliminaries out of the way," he said, turning to Mamoru, "I want you to understand that if you do anything mildly threatening, and attempt to cast any spells at all, I will allow Ushiro to have his way with her. I doubt she will enjoy that very much. Will she, Ushiro?"

Ushiro fingered the still-pink scar on his neck and drew his lips into a mirthless smile. "Not very much at all, I am afraid. My Lord."

Mamoru paled. I almost groaned. Mamoru would do anything Herman wanted just to spare me.

Mamoru glared at his captor in fruitless anger. "What do you want with me?"

"Only to talk," he said. "Will you honor my humble house by doing the honor of sharing tea with me?" he said, and I was surprised as much by the sentiment as the formal phrasing.

Mamoru's mask slipped back in place. "It would be my pleasure to accept such an honor," he said.

Sitting across from each other again, Herman signaled for Ushiro to bring the materials, which were located in a small drawer by my head. The silence required during the actual tea preparation, and the calm, ritualistic performance made me relax despite myself.

I thought back over a few things that Herman had let slip during our conversation. It appeared, however improbably, that Herman thought Mamoru was a witch. As ridiculous as this seemed to me, it was true that every single time I had used magic either Mamoru or Petunia had been with me. There was no real reason to suspect that I was the caster, but then again, there was no reason to suspect that I _wasn't_. Herman seemed absolutely positive of Mamoru's magical abilities, and I needed to know why. My thoughts were interrupted when I realized that Mamoru and Ushiro had cautiously resumed a normal conversation.

"How much do you know about your mother?" Herman asked, sipping his tea.

Mamoru's hands slipped slightly on the ceramic teacup, spilling some onto the reed mats. He regained control moments later, however, and his face was impassive when he answered. "As much as a son does know of one's mother, I suppose. I was only sixteen when she died."

"But I expect that there were parts of her life that remained a...mystery to you?"

"Of course," Mamoru said cautiously.

"Like the identity of your father? I find it hard to believe that as a young boy growing up in a small village you never wondered why your mother alone lacked a husband."

"It crossed my mind," he said, his eyes betraying some anger, "but my mother and I loved each other very much. It obviously hurt her to think about her prior life, and so I stopped asking. Now, of course, I know why she didn't tell me."

"How admirable in one so young. However I must dissuade you of one notion."

"And that is?"

"You are not the Emperor's bastard son." He allowed this to sink in for a few moments, while both Mamoru and I stared at him in shock.

"That's...that's impossible," Mamoru said finally. "The emperor himself came to find me and send me on this quest."

"The _late_ Emperor was a fool." Herman said, for the first time betraying personal anger. "Yes, I have no doubt that he believed you were his bastard son, but that doesn't mean that it was true."

"You will have to excuse my disbelief, but I have reason to doubt your word over that of a dying Emperor."

Herman's laugh was more like a bark, and for a terrifying I saw a hint of his insanity. "Of course you would. Just like your supposed father. Are you telling me that you never had your doubts about his claim?"

Mamoru started to respond, and then cut himself off. "Some," he said quietly. "The few things she had said about my father had never led me to believe that he was the emperor."

My mouth hung open. This was all news to me. Why the hell hadn't Mamoru told me these things earlier?

Herman smiled. "So you are perceptive. I hoped that I hadn't made an erroneous judgment of your intelligence."

Mamoru grimaced. "Why, thank you. I don't suppose that you are planning to offer any alternate possibilities of my paternity?"

Herman's features hardened in annoyance, but he kept his voice under control. "I have no idea who your real father was. He could have been anyone; at court, your mother was quite well known for her affairs. It was only after she got pregnant that she seduced the Emperor and convinced him that the child was his own. So he sent her away to a quiet little village on the edge of the island, and forgot all about her. The slut probably deserved it."

Mamoru's deep blue eyes shook with barely contained anger. "You bastard," he said slowly, as if he were ripping it from some dark place within him.

Herman raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you looking in the wrong direction?"

Mamoru kept silent, probably not trusting himself to say or do something that would endanger me.

"Aiko was a beautiful woman, though," Herman said. "Her eyes were like a stormy sea lit by lightening, or so people said. I never cared for her much, myself. She was one of the strange foundlings that Petunia liked to bring back to court. The place was filled with them; no one knew where they came from, least of all themselves. People forgave Petunia's eccentricities, however."

Did I detect a note of jealousy in his voice?

"Yes, she was beautiful. Intelligent, too; she could hold her own in any conversation by the time she was fourteen. She even published a few slim volumes of love poetry. You could not blame her so very much, I suppose, for having so many lovers. It was so easy for her. When she became pregnant with you, it was hardly a surprise to anyone. A few people knew that the Emperor was not the real father, but he insisted upon it, and no one--least of all myself--felt inclined to dissuade him. I must admit it was with some relief that we sent her away; women like that are a bit too...flamboyant for civilized society."

"My mother," Mamoru said, slowly and deliberately, "was an incredible woman, worth more than you with all of your power could ever hope to be. I refuse to hear you, a man who ruthlessly killed thousands of people for the sake of one girl's power, slander the woman who died to save my life."

I could see how this rattled Herman, but he covered his anger with another mocking smile. "Ah, but who holds the cards now, Mamoru?"

Mamoru was silent.

"Of course," he said. With deliberation, he replaced his cup on the tray, and stood up. To my surprise, he started to walk towards me. I had to force myself not to back away from him.

"The reports are quite correct," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You look remarkably like the princess. I wasn't quite so sure before; your present costume does an admirable job of covering your womanly features. Your hair, especially, threw me."

Herman reached down and ran his fingers through my short hair, and I forced myself not to slap his hand away. I had to bide my time before I took advantage of my loosened bonds. Behind Herman I could see how closely Mamoru watched us, unsure if his light touch would turn to violence.

"It should be long," he said quietly, and after daring a quick look in his eyes I looked away, almost sick to my stomach. The mixture of sexual desire and unreasoning hostility that I had seen there did not reassure me at all. "Her hair was long, beautiful." His hand was still in my hair and I stayed perfectly still.

"Yes, she was beautiful," he continued, his voice deceptively soft. "A beautiful key to unimaginable power. You look like her, but you don't have that power. You can't give me the seventh moon. She can, but she's gone and no one will give her back. I feel my sister's shield even now. She has used the Princess' power to keep me out.

"Minako rejected me, you know. Do you know what she said to me?" he asked, kneeling so his head was level with my own. "To me, the one who had given his life to make her family great, to make this country great? I sacrificed everything for them, and she was the only thing I ever asked for in return. And you know what she said? She said, 'Marry you, Herman? How funny! Why, I would never marry you if you were the last person in the country! You are ancient. I can't imagine why you would have even thought to ask. Doesn't my father give you women for that sort of thing?'"

I felt a jolt of familiarity at his description of the Princess, but I couldn't place it. The unreasoning anger in his face made me wonder how I could possibly get out of here alive.

He eyed my hair clinically. "Would you look like her with long hair?" Without warning, his fingers tightened on my scalp and he pulled me to the ground. I heard Mamoru shout, but Ushiro moved from his place by the door to hold Mamoru back.

"If she is beyond my reach," he said in a low growl, "then at least you can suffer." As he said those words, I felt his spell encircle my body.

I started to scream after the first few seconds of it. My head was on fire, and my hair was growing, sprouting from my scalp with terrifying speed. I forced myself to keep my eyes open, and through my watery gaze I saw Mamoru struggling futilely with Ushiro. As I searched for a spell to stop him, I realized that Herman had inadvertently given me an opening. As I now recalled from Petunia's lectures, using a spell as invasive as this one to hurt another person left the attacker completely vulnerable. If I cast any disabling spell, Herman would be unable to stop me. Before I could do that, however, the pain subsided, and I could see that Mamoru had finally attracted Herman's attention.

"Don't...don't hurt her," Mamoru said, and with a painful jolt I realized that he was trying not to sound desperate, and failing.

"Why not?" Herman asked, breathing heavily.

"Do whatever you want to me. Just leave her alone."

Herman laughed a little. "I have not survived so long without gaining some rudimentary intelligence. I am not fool enough to use magic directly to hurt you. I don't relish the thought of a simple heat spell frying my brain or something equally painful. However, perhaps I will let Ushiro take you up on your offer...does it still stand?"

I stared imploringly at Mamoru, trying to convince him to say no. He must have understood Herman's mistake by now, but he avoided my gaze. Please Mamoru, I begged mentally, just let him hurt me for a little longer and then everything will be over. Herman himself had told me exactly what spell I needed to use. The entire thing was laughably easy if Mamoru could just manage to trust me. Holding my breath, I heard his slow response.

"Yes," he said. "It stands."

---------------------

Left lying on the floor amidst the golden strands of my newly grown hair, I coldly plotted murder if we ever got out of this alive. Mamoru did not look at me. The only emotion revealed on his face was resignation. I didn't want to watch, but my eyes were riveted to the scene at the other end of the tea house.

"Such heroics," Herman said. Mamoru remained silent. "No need to tie him," Herman told Ushiro, who had opened a small door on the side of the room. I felt a short snap of power and Mamoru went rigid, firmly ensnared in a strong holding spell.

"Good boy," Herman said, leaning into him. "You could have fought that, but you would have lost."

Mamoru glared at him, and he smiled. Turning idly to the tray of instruments that Ushiro had gathered, he pointed to a large iron mallet.

"I do hope you have a high threshold of pain," Herman said just before Ushiro started. "Because this will hurt."

---------------------

There is no experience quite similar to watching the man you love get painfully tortured, all the while knowing that anything you could possibly do to stop it would only put the two of you in more danger. Ushiro firmly gripped the top of Mamoru's right arm and proceeded, with terrifying precision, to slowly break each bone within. Throughout it all, driven by some insane impulse of stoicism, Mamoru kept his silence. Herman watched with a sadistic half smile, but that was nothing compared to Ushiro's single-minded attention. I was now under no illusions as to my fate if I ended up at his mercy. After the first break, I could no longer keep my silence.

"Please stop it!" I shouted. "You've done enough!" Herman turned towards me, but Ushiro did not respond at all, instead lifting the mallet above Mamoru's elbow joint. Mamoru's head sagged forward when it landed, and I heard a small whimper escape his lips, almost despite himself.

Herman shrugged. "Be grateful that I didn't let him do it to you."

"Stop it! What is wrong with you? What possible reason..." I started sobbing. This time, however, both of them ignored me. Ushiro moved to Mamoru's wrist.

"You bastard!" I cried. "How could you have done this to me? Fuck you and your chivalry! I hate you!" Then the mallet landed, and the sound that Mamoru released sounded as much like a laugh as a sob. Damming prudence and safety to the last ring of hell, I tugged ruthlessly at my bonds and stood up before either man noticed. Readying a spell without much conscious thought, I directed all of my frustrated, futile anger towards Ushiro. Even if he had seen it coming, he could have done nothing about it. As it was, he fell to the ground without so much as a sound. Startled, Herman wheeled around to face me, and I imagine I looked frightening enough in my anger to make him blanch. In his surprise, he released the holding spell on Mamoru, who collapsed to ground, just barely managing to land on his left side.

"You..." Herman said.

"Yes," I said, staring straight in his violet eyes, "me."

There was a pause, and then his passive smile reappeared on his face. "You can't win, you know."

"Be that as it may," I said, with a firmness that surprised even me, "I plan to try."

Magical duels are strange mixtures of instinct, talent and intelligence. Because casting spells that directly attack the opponent make it easy for him to retaliate, it is necessary to use benign spells for more violent purposes. After four hundred years of experience, Herman was a good deal better at this than I. Silently, we tested each other for a few minutes, casting light holding or sickness spells, and seeing how easily they were deflected. Herman did so with an almost automatic ease, while I sometimes had to mutter a few of the words of power to focus my energy. Time passed, and I could see that he knew how tired I was. He wasn't feinting to test me, I realized, but to drain my energy. The longer he could draw me out, the weaker I would become. I surprised him by casting a very strong transportation spell, which I felt him struggle to resist.

He wiped his forehead of the sweat that had collected there and spoke for the first time in an hour. "You're far better than you have a right to be," he said, "but you're still going to lose."

I just grit my teeth and kept going.

---------------------

At some point I lost track of the time. It lasted for hours, I know that much, but I had known from the beginning that all I could do was ward off my death. Sweat dripped into my eyes and soaked my shirt, but somewhere within me I still found reserves of strength. I had grown inured to the strong scent of peppermint and chocolate. There had been a few close calls, when his well-timed binding spell had caught me off-guard, or when I had almost let myself get transported to some inhospitable location, but I had extricated myself in time. Each time Herman reassured me of his impending victory, and each time I stayed silent. At some point Mamoru recovered enough to sit up. He must have realized that there was nothing more he could do--certainly not with one working arm and no weapon.

An hour later, Herman had boxed me into a corner. If I blocked his heat spell, I would have no time to break the binding that half-held me. I reinforced my shield, but it was a delaying tactic only.

God, I needed more power! If I had it I could destroy him, but as it was, I would be dead in minutes and there was nothing I could do to stop it. If only I had the Princess, if only I could use her power to amplify my own. Wouldn't that be ironic if I destroyed Herman with the same power he coveted? But I didn't know who the Princess was or how to find her. 'Doesn't my father give you money for that sort of thing,' I thought, recalling Herman's eerily familiar imitation of her voice.

And then it snapped into place. Why it seemed I recognized the words, why everyone thought I looked like her, why Petunia had happened to live across the street from me. I finally understood, and I felt stupid for not realizing earlier.

Mina was the Princess. Princess Minako.

---------------------

Herman said something to me, but I didn't hear him. I hadn't even known it was possible before I did it, but as I hurtled myself towards earth with a transportation spell, I managed to keep part of myself in Herman's stronghold--effectively straddling two worlds, and not entirely substantial in either.

"May...Minako," I said to locate the spell, but I stayed in limbo. Something was forcing me away, a barrier too powerful for me to break. But in limbo, straining towards earth, I was close enough to call Petunia on our bond.

"Petunia," I screamed, "let me in! You have to let me in."

Her voice was distant, but audible. "Serena? What are you...don't you know how dangerous this is? You can't straddle like that, it'll kill you."

"I'm dead anyway," I said, "unless you let me through. I have to have her power, Petunia. Herman will kill me...shit, he's breaking through now. Let me in, goddamn it!"

"But...Serena--"

"Let me in!"

She let me in. I barreled into a hotel room. Mina and Kintaro were sitting up in bed, staring at me.

"Mina," I said weakly. Both of my insubstantial bodies were beginning to hurt with the pressures of being torn apart. "You have to come back with me. You have to help me."

Kintaro held Mina tightly. "She's not going anywhere," he said. "You people can't keep tossing her around like she's some toy."

"I'm going to die, Mina," I said.

She started crying. "Oh god, Serena...Serena, I'm so sorry! I can't, I just can't..."

Kintaro glared at me. "Get out of here. Can't you see what you're doing to her?"

"She's the only one!" I shouted. "The only one with enough power to stop him from killing everybody, from killing me! I need her power, dammit. _I must have her power!_"

And then I stopped. The room was silent except for the sound of Mina's sobbing. What was I saying? What was I doing? When had I turned into the kind of megalomaniac that demanded power without thought of its human consequences? Was it this easy to turn into another Herman?

I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sorry, Mina. Petunia's right. You're too dangerous to use. Good luck, you two," I said, allowing myself to fade back into Herman's tea house. "I'm sorry we never got a chance to take that vacation, Mina."

The last sound I heard was her sobbing my name.

---------------------

I was back in the tea house. My barrier still held, but just barely. Herman stared at me.

"The Princess," he said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "I felt her damned barriers go down for a second. You went to see the Princess, but you didn't use her power. Such noble actions won't get you anywhere. I could kill you with a thought." I felt him draw another crippling amount of power. "But I won't if you tell me where she is. Tell me where and I will spare your life, and his," he said, cocking his head towards Mamoru.

"Never, you bastard," I said though grit teeth. "I'll die fighting."

"Then die!" he said, and blasted me with a heat spell so powerful it tore through my barriers like rice paper. I closed my eyes, and thought about Mamoru, who even now was watching my death and helpless to stop it.

I had resigned myself to death hours ago, and now that it had come I almost welcomed it.

---------------------

The heat consumed my chest first. It hurt as much as I had thought it would, but eventually I realized that it hadn't moved past my chest. The amulet?

Herman looked just as startled as I. His heat spell was being blocked, somehow. Mamoru's amulet burned with a strange power completely unlike the magic I knew. I had felt this force a handful of times before--at Rei's temple and at night during certain cycles of the moons, but it had never been this powerful. My body overflowed with strange, conflicting sensations; the feel of a warm spring day and the smell of cherry blossoms, the dark chill of a moonless autumn night, the smell of the ocean the morning after a storm. They swirled within me, faster and faster, until I could no longer identify them individually. I was experiencing another person's lifetime, feeling the series of sensory impressions that make up our perception of the world. Suddenly everything in the room went quite still, almost frozen in space. I took a shuddering breath and wondered what was happening. Had the power of the seventh moon somehow been unleashed?

Then I closed my eyes and the entire world dissolved.

---------------------

I was in someone's bedroom. Two figures lay on a sleeping mat, entwined within one another. I looked around frantically, trying to find a place to escape with no one noticing when one of the figures stirred a little and let out a light giggle.

"That was wonderful, Herman. Shall we do it again?" she said, and her voice sounded vaguely familiar. I walked closer to the bed, and realized that neither of them could see me. Was I invisible? Where the hell was I? He grunted and turned over, and I saw that she was speaking to the same Herman I had just been fighting a duel with.

"I'm tired, Aiko," he said, and I felt a jolt at the sound of her name. Somehow I must be watching scenes from Aiko's life.

"But, Herman," she said. "You were never tired before."

"You were never so annoying before."

She choked on her words and stayed silent.

---------------------

The scene changed. Now we were in a garden, by a pond overshadowed by a budding cherry blossom. Aiko was sitting on a large stone by the pond, looking around anxiously, like she was waiting for someone. Sure enough, Herman soon came, walking slowly.

"You came!" Aiko said, tossing herself into Herman's arms. He held her reluctantly. "I thought you wouldn't come. You were so late!"

He deliberately removed her arms from around his waist pushed her away. "What is it, Aiko?" he asked.

"Well, Herman...you see, I'm not quite sure how it happened...I used all the things the Lady told me to, but..." she trailed off, and looked at him with her imploring blue eyes. In that moment I flashed back to Mamoru's picture of his mother, and I knew without a doubt that this was the same woman.

"I'm pregnant," she said finally.

Herman reeled back as if he had been dealt a blow. "You're what?" he said, with deceptive calmness.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated, and looked at him expectantly.

He narrowed his eyes. "Well, when are you going to get rid of it?"

Her hands flew to her stomach. "Get rid of it? How can you ask me to get rid of your own child?"  
"I don't want children," he said. "I already have enough problems dealing with my sister. I have no desire for another magic-user in this world."

"But, Herman," she said, "this will be our child. Don't you want to have a child with me?"

"No," he said.

Spare her feelings, why don't you, I thought angrily. That Aiko was hopelessly in love with Herman was obvious. Although God only knew what she saw in him.

"Herman...I don't care. I'm going to have this child. Our child."

"Aiko," Herman said, "if you give birth to this child, I won't claim the baby. You'll become a fallen woman. I'll have you turned out of court, and I will have the baby killed."

"How can you say things like that? It's your own child! Don't...don't you love me?"

"No, Aiko. I don't." He walked away. Aiko was left sobbing in the

garden.

---------------------

We were in a bedroom again, but this was far more sumptuous. Aiko sat

nervously on the bed, while a young man sat down next to her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. She nodded.

---------------------

The scene changed, but we were still in the same bedroom.

"I'm pregnant," she said to the man. The emperor?

He looked at her in surprise, and then sighed loudly. "I see. What do you want?"

She swallowed, and looked at him defiantly. "Your protection only. Send me away, please. Someplace where they won't ask questions, and I'll bring my child up in peace. I promise that we will never bother you."

The Emperor hesitated, and then nodded.

---------------------

The scenes that followed were disjointed, brief snatches of a quiet life as a diviner in a small village on the coast. Mamoru grew up and learned how to paint. He learned how to fight, and gained respect among the other boys of the town. There was no reason in particular why Aiko should have shown me these pictures; they were not necessary to the story she wanted to tell, but as I saw them I had the overwhelming sense of mutual love. It was almost as if Aiko had longed to share these images with the one other person who loved her son as much as she. I felt a moment of incredible affinity, of friendship with a woman whom I had never met. When the pictures solidified again, we were inside a cabin.

Aiko was alone, doing something to an amulet. Her eyes were closed while she held it, chanting something. I could feel the power in the room, but it was the different kind of power I had sensed coming from the amulet back in real time. The metal glowed faintly, and then she reached for a knife and sliced her wrist without hesitation. The blood dripped onto the amulet and disappeared.

"A tithe of soul and tithe of blood for the blood moon." Her words sounded like a mantra.

It blazed brightly enough to burn a circle into the wooden table before it began to cool down again. Aiko opened her eyes, and looked at the amulet in satisfaction.

"A lifebond," she said.

---------------------

The scene dissolved, and when it reappeared we were still in the cabin, but Mamoru was there as well.

"Mamoru," Aiko said frantically. "Hide in here." She gestured towards an almost invisible trap door in the floor. A sixteen year old Mamoru looked up at her defiantly.

"No," he said, and his voice cracked with strain. "I'll go and defend the village with everyone."

"Mamoru-kun," she said, "You are a brave boy, and you have no idea how proud I am of you, but if you have ever listened to me in your life, please listen to me now. I'm going to get help from the palace...I'll be okay, I promise. Please?"

Mamoru nodded reluctantly and got inside of the bolthole. "Mother," he said quietly, "you'll be back, right?"

She nodded. "Before you know it. Here," she said, pulling the amulet from around her neck and handing it to him.

"It contains a mother's love."

---------------------

The last scene was short. Hurrying away from the fighting on the other side of the village, Aiko tried to sneak out the other direction. She didn't make it; she didn't even have time to speak. A startled, almost horrified gasp was all she could give before the longbow hit her straight through the heart and she toppled to the ground. Her eyes never left the face of her attacker, and somehow they still spoke of a love she could not kill.

And Herman simply walked away.

---------------------

The return from the world of memory happened slowly, but as I opened my eyes, I realized that no time had passed. Herman's face was frozen in surprise and his heat spell was still blocked.

Aiko stood before me. I felt tears pricking at my eyes, thinking of the story that she had shown me and the love she must bear Mamoru to come back and save him now. She did not speak, but she smiled a little. She turned to look at Mamoru, whose expression was too complicated for me to read. A few tears ran unheeded down his face. Then she turned to Herman. As soon as she did so, it was clear that somehow Aiko still found it within herself to love him, and that hurt me most of all.

"Aiko," he whispered, his face a mask of fear. She smiled sadly at him, and then turned away, back towards me. I heard her voice in my head, although no one else could hear her words.

"Whatever of my power is in this amulet is yours to use," she said. "I have fulfilled the blood moon's sacrifice. But know...please know that I loved that man. Whatever his faults, and whatever mine, I never regretted loving him." She began to fade. Mamoru let out a choked sob.

"Love him," I heard her whisper just before she disappeared entirely, and I knew that she was referring to Mamoru.

"I will," I said, smiling.

She disappeared.

I turned to Herman. He still hadn't moved. I was fortified by my new knowledge and by the power she had lent me. I could kill him anytime I wanted now, and he knew it. It was to his credit that he did not beg for mercy.

"You did not deserve her," I said. "But you had her anyway. That kind of grace is not given to many people." I walked forward until I we were inches apart. He did not move.

"Just tell me," I said softly, "even if you didn't love her, why did you kill her?"

"She was the baby," he whispered. "She was the baby Petunia had hid. I searched all over our world, but she had taken the baby to court, the child that had indigenous powers. I never knew. Aiko never told me, and I had wasted so much time. I hated her, then," he said vehemently.

"And the seventh moon? If only for the sake of her power, why not let her live after you knew?"

"Because I...I didn't know," his voice wavered. "I thought it was the Aranu, not the Kanare who had that power. I didn't know, not until now..."

"Tell me that you loved her once, even for a moment. Even as much as you liked the princess. Tell me you deserved her even a little."

He shook his head. "Aiko was as much as anyone to me...a distraction. No more, no less."

I hesitated, and then sighed. "Were it up to me, I would kill you. But you are hers, and so I won't. But you will never have the power to harm another soul like this again."

The earth hummed beneath my feet. I closed my eyes and felt the power around me. It seemed to ooze from the very stone around us, from the seventh moon above. I took hold of it and immobilized Herman.

"Good bye," I mouthed, and then stripped him of his magic.

His screams were terrifying to hear, but I continued to do it despite his pleas. I closed my ears to him, knowing that in some ways what I was doing now was even worse than a clean killing. This was twenty times more torture than anything Ushiro could hope to do, and even the knowledge that the recipient was Herman could not relieve my self-horror. Eventually, however, it was finished. Herman lay in a crumpled heap at my feet, barely conscious. There was a strong possibility, I realized, that he wouldn't survive this anyway, but his death would not be on my conscience. Gathering the last of the power, I cast a transportation spell. I sent him to the only place I could be sure he would never bother anyone again.

"Limbo."

---------------------

After he disappeared I collapsed to the floor, sobbing incoherently. His screams as I stripped him of his magic echoed in my head, and I shuddered in self-revulsion. I did not hear Mamoru approach me until he put his hand tentatively on my shoulder. I looked at him through watery eyes, and then gripped his hand convulsively, as if it were the only thing holding me to sanity.

"Oh God," I repeated over and over, horrified by the past few hours.

Mamoru's face was hardened with lines of suppressed pain, and his right arm hung at a painfully wrong angle.

"Serena," he said, his voice somehow gentle despite all of this. "We have to get out of here."

"I can't move," I said, and then realized that the stone was groaning around us. "What is that?" I asked, sitting up slowly.

"I think the place is collapsing," he said, and as if on cue we heard a crash from somewhere outside the door.

"Aiko's magic," I said, "I felt it draining the power from these stones." I jumped at the sound of a larger crash, close to the room. We both stood up and for a second we looked at each other.

"I didn't think I would survive that," I said. "Your mother..."

"My father," he said.

I looked at him in surprise. "You know?"

"I figured it out. Come on, we can talk about it later."

He was right, if we didn't leave now, we might get stuck in the rubble. We ran out of the room, stepping over Ushiro's unconscious form. Even if he were still alive, at that moment I did not have the emotional or physical capability to crush an ant. Besides, the fortress would probably do the job for me. The hall immediately outside the tea room was un-blocked.

"How are we supposed to get out of this rat warren?" I asked as we ran down the hall.

"We have to go up," Mamoru said. "Most of this place is built underground."

Taking his words to heart, we took every single unblocked tunnel that we could find, so long as it had a slight incline. Somehow, we made it to the surface before the entire thing collapsed around our ears. Choking on dust, we emerged at the top of a staircase into what looked like a city of ruins. The first floor had collapsed entirely. We stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, looking at the heaps of stone bathed in moonlight. Through the swirling motes of dust, I could make out the milling figures of Herman's men who had managed to get out in time. Mamoru held my hand as we looked into the sky. There, so low and heavy I could almost touch it, sat a moon, one I had never seen before. It was blood red.

"The seventh moon," Mamoru said quietly.

"A tithe of soul and tithe of blood," I said, remembering Aiko's words as she poured her blood on the amulet.

"What?" Mamoru said.

"That's it, you know. The seventh moon's secret. Sacrifice."

"My mother's sacrifice," Mamoru said softly.

I fainted.

I floated in a state of semi-consciousness for a while, but Mamoru's frantic voice brought me back. I felt too exhausted to respond, so I remained limp even as he shook me with one hand.

"Serena!" he said, "For God's sake, wake up!" I was about to open my eyes and reassure him when a particularly evil thought occurred to me. Resisting the urge to smile, I remained limp as a rag doll.

"Serena, why won't you wake up? We have to find Petunia and everyone..." he trailed off, his voice cracking. "Please, we did not just go through that for you to start dying on me." He cradled my head gently in his left arm, and to my shame I felt his hot tears drip on my forehead. I wanted to open my eyes then, but he had already continued.

"You're always so goddamn stubborn, Serena! Can't you just listen to me for once in your life? I...I love you."

I couldn't have opened my eyes if I tried. How much had I longed to hear him say that?

"You can even," he started laughing a little, "I'll even let you call me Mamo-chan."

I cracked open one eye, and felt a tiny jolt of shame as he closed his eyes in relief. Then I smiled, recalling one particular event at the very beginning of our acquaintance, and my...violent reaction to it. Finally, the tables were turned.

I smiled up at him. "Too easy," I said.

I was rewarded with his surprised, relieved and unguarded laughter.

---------------------

Petunia found us soon afterwards. Since neither of us were in much condition to walk, it was lucky that the boat was docked a short distance away. I fell asleep as soon as we climbed on board, and remained dead to the world for some sixteen hours afterwards. It was nighttime when I awoke again, finally refreshed. Aiko's amulet still hung from my neck, but it was cold and lifeless now. She had been released from its bond, I supposed.

I stretched tentatively, realized that I was naked, and searched around my bed for some clothes. I found them folded neatly right beside me. Feeling a little wobbly, I put on the kimono and thong socks and walked outside. This must be an inn, I thought. From the sounds of revelry in the common room I knew that it couldn't be very late. I walked slowly down the hallway, wondering if there was something that I could eat. I heard approaching footsteps and looked up.

Mamoru and I stared at each other for a tense moment. He looked far better than the last time I had seen him, but his right arm was bound tightly to his side, and I could only imagine how much that hurt without modern pain killers.

"Are you--" we both said at the same time, and then smiled.

"I suppose we have to talk," he said. "Will you come to my room?"

He was strangely formal about it, I thought as I walked into the room across from mine.

I sat down on his futon, and hugged my knees a little. He chose to remain standing, and I wondered just how much more his arm hurt than he let show.

"I've been wondering," he said, "what exactly did you do to...Herman?"

"I ...stripped him of his magic, confined him in limbo. He won't bother anyone anymore."

"Did I really see my mother?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. "She came to save...to save both men she loved."

He winced and turned his face to the ground. I had thought to avoid the issue for a little while longer, but suddenly the sight of his suppressed pain made me livid. I stood up, forcing him to look at me.

"Do you see this," I said, holding my hair, now even longer than before. "This is nothing. Less than nothing. Look at your arm! Was it worth it? Do you always have to be such an idiot? What possessed you to offer yourself up in my place when you knew, you _knew_ that all I needed was a couple more seconds to take Herman by surprise? What possible excuse do you have for yourself? Do you respect me so little?"

Mamoru met my eyes, but there was such pain there that I almost wanted to take back my words. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just can't.... You were lying on the floor...screaming. And your hair just kept growing..." he shuddered. "It was the only thing that I could do."

"Oh, and you think that watching Ushiro get some sort of perverse pleasure out of breaking every bone in your arm was fun! I hate chivalry," I said bitterly. "It doesn't make any sense. I don't want _anyone_ to die for me, least of all you. Why can't you respect me enough to understand that?"

He shook his head. "It's not about respect, Serena. It's just...I'm too weak to watch you get hurt. I'm sorry."

I felt tears form in my eyes. "No, damn it! Don't tell me you're sorry! Tell me you'll--" Quite unexpectedly, I was overcome with a coughing fit. My body shook convulsively and Mamoru held me until they subsided. I clung to him afterwards, letting tears of frustration soak his shirt front. I had forgotten all about the spell. It was wearing off now; I had maybe twelve hours before it disappeared completely. Mamoru gently lowered me to his sleeping mat, and sat with me, wincing at the necessary movement of his arm.

"You still have it," he said. I started to shiver, and his arm tightened around me.

"Yes," I said, not wanting to elaborate.

"You have to tell me the truth," he said.

I sighed. "I'm dying."

He stiffened, and I could see the look of panic in his eyes. "But... you were fine, before. And Petunia..."

"She cast a spell to make me better for a while. After it wears off, I get magical poisoning as well as the plague. That's what's happening now. I have to go back to my world, or I'll die."

He nodded slowly. "We can go tomorrow."

The tears came even faster now, and I could not stop them. "Mamo-chan," I said, choking on the name, "you can't come with me."

"Why not?" he asked, but his voice was quiet, almost resigned.

Because I did not want him to have to watch me die, I thought, but I could not say it aloud. "Maybe...maybe we just need some time apart."

He was too upset to even argue. Almost blindly, he turned my face up towards his and our lips met.

---------------------

If nothing else, we had beauty that night. There were no fireworks, no unexpected jolts, not even much happiness, but there was beauty. The beauty in the way his uncut hair hung into his eyes, beauty in the way his hand fingered my lips as if he would never touch them again--and perhaps he wouldn't. Beauty in our gentleness with each other. It was awkward because of his arm, and yet somehow even that added beauty. We were both crying, sad, slow tears that decorated the other's body with little crystals. His salt tasted the same as mine. And for a moment, I thought: we are one. We shattered and coalesced like a love-making fractal, until, spent, we lay curled within each other, relishing in the beauty of one last night.

---------------------

I left that morning before Mamoru awoke, memorizing every feature, every crook and dimple and scar his body possessed, and storing it away for the long months ahead, when I would be forced to live without him. I remembered him as I saw him that last time: asleep, his position awkward because of his arm, but his face peaceful nonetheless, with the orange light of dawn streaking boldly across his body.

"I love you," I whispered, but he didn't hear me.

---------------------

Petunia was waiting just outside the door, her face impassive. She knew why I was leaving on my own. Without preamble, she took my hand, gathered enough power, and took me back home.

I collapsed to the floor of my living room almost as soon as I arrived. Petunia looked at me, nodded, and walked to the telephone.

"Hello," she said, "is this 911? I have an emergency here. Yes. A woman has collapsed...yes. 3813 34th street...Georgetown."

* * *

**END of Book Seven. Epilogue coming either tomorrow or in a few days. Comment!**


	10. Epilogue

A/N: Voila-- the end of this story. Many thanks to all who commented and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Epilogue: Why I Shouldn't Have Done Anything Differently

---------------------

They wouldn't stop playing "Christmas Time in Washington" on the radio.

I ground my teeth, but refrained from actually changing the station. I had promised myself to at least _try_ and get a little Christmas spirit this holiday season. Unfortunately, this announcer seemed to think that Christmas spirit consisted of playing the same terrible song six times an hour, and discussing the designer dress that the First Lady was planning on wearing to her winter Gala, done in particularly garish green and red stripes.

All right, maybe there was something redeeming about this song. There had to be a reason why she kept playing it on the radio.

"It's Christmas Time in Washington," the singer crooned, finally nearing the end, "America's home town." I just barely suppressed my gag reflex.

"Now isn't that just a wonderful song?" said the saccharine voice of the female disc jockey, "it just calls up that Christmas Spirit, doesn't it?"

"Goddamn it," I said, standing up, "Bugger Christmas spirit!" I knocked the radio to the floor with a very satisfying smack, ignoring Artemis's reproving look.

"Come on," I said, stomping to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup, "don't tell me that _you_ like this song too! Does everyone go crazy around Christmas?"

Artemis yawned and settled back down on the couch.

"Dumb cat," I said, taking my coffee back with me to the living room. Books littered the coffee table, all of which described the improbable subject matter of brass belt buckle brands used in regiments during the Spanish American War. I had to give old Mr. Thomas a research report on them tomorrow because he had reached a critical point in his novel. How brass belt buckles could be critical to any novel was beyond my understanding, but far be it from me to question the man who held my paycheck.

Not to mention a "get out of rules free" pass to the Library of Congress.

I cursed, remembering that I had to get those books back to the main reading room or suffer permanent disbarment from its hallowed stacks.

While Mr. Thomas paid me enough to keep the apartment without having to find a roommate, I could still not afford the dubious freedom of private transportation. Still cursing, I struggled into my heaviest down jacket, scarf, gloves, earmuffs and hat before shoving the books into a worn canvas bag and rushing to the bus stop.

Despite my precautions, I was shivering and panting by the time I made it to the stop. I had discovered that one does not recover from the combined effects of pneumonia, blood poisoning and some unidentifiable virus very quickly. In fact, for the first few weeks the doctors hadn't even been sure I was going to make it. Even though I was nominally recovered, I still got cold easily and my stamina, never outstanding, was downright pathetic.

I fell asleep on the bus, but someone stepped on my foot just before I reached my stop. I walked inside warily, peering around corners for any sign of Julie the librarian. Reassured that the coast was clear, I climbed the stairs to the Jefferson reading room, and walked up to the desk. Jonathan mimed relief when he saw me coming.

"Whew, I thought you weren't going to show. It would have been my ass on the line, you know, Miss Campbell."

I smiled. "That's Ms. Campbell to you, sonny boy, and don't you think that's why I braved the elements to come down here?"

"Braved the elements? Serena, it's thirty degrees outside."

I shivered. "Don't even mention it. I nearly died coming here." With a grunt I heaved the bag onto the table, and handed him the books.

"I don't suppose you'd let me help warm you up a little," he said hopefully, checking the books back into the system.

I smiled and patted him on his hand. "Not today, Jonathan. I'm a busy girl who doesn't have time for young rakes like you in my life. You want someone who can take care of you, who can darn your socks and massage your feet when you come home from a hard days work..."  
"Come on, Serena. I'm asking for a date, not a life commitment!"

_But that's what I want_, I thought unexpectedly. "Maybe later, Jonathan."

"Oh, that's what you always say."

"Maybe that should tell you something," I said, raising my eyebrows and walking away.

"Don't be so sure of yourself," he said. "They all succumb eventually."

Well, Jonathan _was_ pretty cute, but...somehow I doubted it.

---------------------

I walked slowly down my street, staring at the naked trees shivering in the lamplight. It was cold outside, but I didn't consider it worth the extra effort to move quickly. Besides, I had missed my Georgetown streets during that long month and a half in the hospital. The off-white motif, I supposed, was meant to have been comforting, but I enjoyed the way the night rendered the world in shades of gray. Somehow, I just didn't want color anymore. Looking up, I saw the familiar outline of the lion's flanking Petunia's doorway. Shrugging my shoulders a little, I walked up to the door.

Petunia opened it almost as soon as I rung the doorbell and shooed me inside. She had been unfazed by the damage Ushiro and his men had wrought, and within a week had made it look like a home again. The only thing missing was Mamoru's ruined painting, but the one that he had made for me now hung in my own apartment, taking my breath away each time I looked at it.

"How are you?" she asked, after we had sat down in her library. Artemis, who had apparently sought better company once I left, now jumped onto my lap and purred contentedly as I pet him. After his prolonged adventure with Mina, I had a feeling that he was glad to be back with Petunia.

"Oh, fine," I answered, staring past her at a bookshelf, "Fine, fine, fine. I still feel a little weak now and again, but...it's expected. And the job is great. Yeah, everything is fine."

I grimaced internally. Yeah, right, Serena.

"That's good," Petunia said.

It occurred to me that there was a question that had been bothering me for a while that I had never asked her. "Petunia, how exactly did I get involved with this anyway? I mean, did you even mean for me to be there?"

She smiled a little and shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, I picked this neighborhood because it has a lot of mild magic users, so it would mask my activities. So when I needed to hide Mina, I just set her up in the apartment across from me. I got a sense that you would be a good roommate for her to have, and I knew you had a facility with magic, but...no. I thought nothing special about you, at first. It was only when you stopped by my house that second time that I realized you could help me."

I nodded. "So you mean, no prophecies, no oracles at my birth, no eclipses, no royal parentage?"

She laughed. "I doubt it."

"That's good. I like to think that I managed to have an adventure entirely under my own steam."

---------------------

December 24th Lita came to visit me. This was not a rare occasion, of course. Since she was living with Petunia now, she often bopped across the street to talk about the latest thing that she had Petunia had done together. This time, however, she seemed more serious. I was huddled on the couch, wrapped in a heavy blanket, drinking hot chocolate and trying not to hate the radio for playing "Christmas Time in Washington." I felt almost too sad to cry, which is pretty pathetic on Christmas Eve. Lita sat down next to me and handed me a letter. My hands shook as I took it; I knew before she said it who it was from.

"It's Mamoru's letter. You know, the one he wrote just before he," Lita paused. "Gave himself up to the Kojin. I got Petunia to translate it for you. That's what this is." She handed me another letter. "So, this is your Christmas present. You are not allowed to open it until tomorrow, okay?" I nodded dumbly, placing the two letters on the coffee table.

"And now I have something else to say." I looked at her expectantly. "You are being very stupid," she declared. "You love Mamoru, he loves you...so what are you still doing here? You know that he must be just as sad as you are."

It was the first time that anyone had dared mention Mamoru around me, and instead of feeling upset, I only felt relief. "I don't know what's holding me back," I said, sniffling. "I'm just...I'm just afraid, I guess. I'm afraid that if I go to see him, he won't want me anymore. I didn't tell him the real reason I didn't want him to come back with me! I just told him we needed time apart. What if he has gotten over me already?"

Lita shook her head. "Serena, you're not just stupid, you're an idiot. Do you ever _notice_ the way he looks at you?"

"I did," I wailed, burying my head in my hands. "But I'm never going to see him again!"

"Okay," Lita said. "I'll see what I can do."

But I was too busy being miserable to even hear her.

---------------------

Christmas day was pretty quiet. At around eleven Petunia, Lita and I all sat around her Christmas tree and opened each other's presents. I saved Lita's for last. Petunia gave me a beautifully inlaid music box that opened onto a different scene every time you lifted the top.

"How did you--" I began.

"Oh, I didn't," she said, "it's a rarity from the Tanay."

"Tanay?"

"Another country on that planet. It's near the south."

I had spent a lot of time thinking of a good present to get Petunia. She stared at the tiny package curiously, and then ripped off the sloppy wrapping paper. Once she saw what was inside, she started to laugh until tears formed in her eyes.

"What? What did she give you?" Lita asked curiously, and stared even more curiously when Petunia revealed he very own DC Public Library card.

"I'll tell you the story later," Petunia said. "So, what did you get?"

I gave Lita a leather bound edition of The Secret Garden, one of my favorite books of all time. Petunia gave her, of all things, a traditional long and short sword. Lita had grown incoherent at the sight of these weapons, and then proceeded to bear hug Petunia for a minute.

"What do you want those for?" I asked.

"I'm going to be a warrior!" Lita said, and I could not bite back my groan.

---------------------

I waited till I was by myself before I read the letter. I had no doubt that it would send me into hysterics, and I was right, but what I did not expect was how happy it would make me.

---------------------

Dumpling Head,

I don't suppose that I ever imagined that I would be writing a letter like this, but then again, lots of things have happened over the past year that I never would have expected. I hope you know that you are one of them. I sometimes have to laugh when I think of the number of times I have tried to tell you how much I love you, and many times I have failed.

I love you. Did you know that? Sometimes when I look at you I can barely breathe; I am so overcome with the sight of you, the smell of you, the way your hair glints in the sunlight, the way your eyes narrow when you are annoyed with me, the way your nose scrunches up when you're hungry. I love all of you, and the scary thing is that I love you more now than I did before, and I am sure that tomorrow, if I live to see tomorrow, I will love you more than I do today. I don't even know how to describe what you are to me, except by saying: everything.

I wish that I had the courage to say this to you in person, to watch your eyes light up as you realize that I will never be capable of loving anyone but you. Instead, I write it when I am not quite sure I will live to see the morning.

Do you know when I first knew? I'm not sure if you'll even remember this, but it was back at the temple. That novice priest was lecturing me about 'refined society' and you rescued me. You came tottering forward in that kimono you didn't know how to wear and those shoes you didn't know how to walk on and somehow saved me.

I don't have much time left, but I wanted you to know this. I am terrified to die tomorrow. We've had such little time to spend together, when we should rightfully have a lifetime.

Good bye, Serena.

Mamo-chan.

---------------------

I cried myself to sleep, imagining his scent on my clothes.

---------------------

I sulked most of the day after Christmas. I walked between my bedroom and the kitchen and the living room perhaps five hundred times that day, and opened the refrigerator without taking anything out what felt like a thousand.

I looked at the radio, lying innocuously on the counter.

"At least they can't be playing that dumb song anymore."

Artemis meowed. "I can't believe it," I said, turning on the radio, "you really _do_ like that song."

"And as part of our after-Christmas special, we will be playing--"  
"No, don't say it!"

"--everyone's favorite 'Christmas Time in Washington!'"

I sent the radio flying across the kitchen counter, narrowly missing Artemis.

"Damn it." I grabbed my coat. "I've got to get out of here."

---------------------

I wandered around the neighborhood for a while, trying not to remember the last time I had done this, only four months ago. Artemis followed at my heels, looking almost as though he were there to keep an eye on me.

"Listen, I'm fine Artemis," I said. "Go back to Petunia."

He just shook his head and continued to follow me. I sighed. Well, I had learned from experience that there was no point in arguing with that cat when he wanted to do something his way.

"I've just got one question," I said, turning to him, "If you're so smart, then why did you let Mina carry you in a picnic basket on an airplane?"

Artemis looked a little sheepish, and I laughed. "Don't feel so smart anymore, do you?" I said.

"You talkin' to me?"

I wheeled around, for a surprised second wondering if Artemis could actually talk. But his feline mouth was conspicuously closed, and I soon realized that the voice belonged to a guy sitting on the street corner, wearing a worn coat about as heavy as mine.

"Oh, sorry," I said, blushing a little. "I was talking to my cat."

Why did I say that, I thought, but he just smiled. "I do it too, sometimes. I don't suppose you have any change on this holiday season..."

The request surprised me; I really had been away from DC a little too long. What happened to you, I wondered, fishing in my pockets for whatever spending change I had with me_. _Had he traveled to another world? Had someone abandoned him? Had he abandoned them?

I handed him all I had, which was about ten dollars.

"Merry Christmas, ma'am," he said, pocketing the money. I was about to leave, but then turned around again.

"Do you ever wonder what you could have done to change things?" I asked.

He stared at me for a moment, and I wondered why I had asked that. "No," he said, "This is where I am. Gotta keep going, you know?"

"Maybe so," I said. "Merry Christmas."

---------------------

I wandered past the yellow-tinted windows of Cluck-U Chicken, watching Harvey terrorize another set of minimum wage employees with a tiny smile of amusement.

"At least some things never change," I said.

Artemis hissed.

"You can't tell me that's not funny," I said, gesturing towards the window while I turned towards him.

But Artemis wasn't hissing at me. He was hissing at a chicken.

"That can't possibly be..."

But it was. There was, improbably, a chicken sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, plucking at Artemis's fur in a determined fashion. It flapped its wings and squawked at Artemis, who backed up ever so slightly.

"Would it be too much to ask just what a _chicken_ is doing in the middle of the sidewalk!" I said a little hysterically. "All right," I said, "this is not our concern, Artemis. We will just leave and let who ever is crazy enough to keep a _pet chicken_ have it, and a visit with their psychiatrist too!"

Trying to avoid the sight of that brainless bird puttering around on the sidewalk, I walked away with Artemis trotting practically between my legs.

Apparently having gotten it through that little birdy brain that I was leaving, it chased after me, nearly barreling into the back of my leg in its haste.

"What is wrong with this thing?" I asked no one in particular. "How the hell did a live chicken get loose in the middle of Washington, DC?"

Giving the bird a firm kick in the rear end, I turned back around. It squawked, and waddled towards me.

"You aren't going to follow me home," I said, almost pleading.

It bobbled its head a little, and I groaned. "It nodded," I said. "First Artemis, and now a chicken. Fine, come home with me. Maybe when I get enough strange animals, Mrs. Aiken will call the SPCA and then I can claim that I'm the reincarnation of Noah. It ought to at least make the five o'clock news. It's not so bad a way to go, after all."

The pedestrians were staring at me a little strangely, but few seemed to note the anomaly of a chicken on the sidewalk. I continued towards my apartment.

"What kind of dumb chicken hangs out in front of a fast-food place, anyway? You know what Harvey would have done to you if he had found you? I bet he has a whole wall of chicken heads in his basement."

The chicken squawked in alarm.

"Yeah, that's right," I said. "Be afraid, be very afraid. I just saved you from a fate worse than death."

I opened the door to my apartment, and Artemis streaked inside, getting as far from the chicken as he possibly could. I walked inside, but the chicken remained on the doorstep, looking at me with an expression that I would almost call plaintive.

"Oh, fine, come inside. You might as well."

It waddled across the living room and settled down on the throw rug beneath the coffee table, plucking up bits of popcorn that I hadn't had a chance to vacuum yet.

"Well, at least you're good for something."

Sighing, I collapsed onto the couch, wondering what the hell had just happened. Was there really a kitchen in the middle of my living room, or was this a cruel trick of an overworked imagination? With a sinking feeling I remembered something Petunia had mentioned about chickens possibly being my bond animal and groaned.

"Maybe I need to go to sleep."

I idly watched the chicken wander around my living room, checking behind the television and under the couch for what, I do not know. Eventually it made a running leap onto the coffee table, sending the heap of papers flying.

"What are you doing, you idiot bird?" I shouted, trying to get it back down. It flapped its wings at me, and continued to pluck at the papers. Finally, it settled down, having uncovered some object that it found particularly interesting.

"What is..." but then I saw. I had taken the amulet off yesterday and forgotten to take it off the coffee table. The bird plucked at it for a few moments, glanced at me, and then jumped off the table.

"Well, what the hell was that for?" I asked, but the bird was already making a beeline for my door. As soon as it got there it began flapping its wings and making noises about as pleasant as fingernails scratching a blackboard.

"Oh, you want to leave? Please, be my guest," I said, but by now I was more than a little curious. I levered myself off the couch and walked to the door. The bird stepped out of the way a little bit and quieted down. What was going on, anyway?

I opened the door.

There was a shadowy figure on the step. He looked like Mamoru but I knew that was impossible. Except, he sure looked a hell of a lot like Mamoru, even with the unfamiliar parka zipped up to his neck.

His eyes were wet, but he smiled tentatively at me.

"You...you..." I stuttered incoherently.

"I came," he said.

"Yes," I said, and then cursed myself for sounding so stupid. I remembered Lita's words: 'Do you _notice_ how he looks at you?' And he was looking at me that way now, with that strange intensity that made my knees melt and my mouth part in desperate expectation.

"I'm sorry," we said at the same time, and then laughed.

"I should have come," I said first. "I got too scared. Even after I got better."

"I should have come anyway. I have Lita to thank that I didn't wait any longer."

"Lita talked to you?"

He laughed. "You could put it like that, yes." He paused. "So...I have to ask you something."

"Yes?" I said a little breathlessly.

"Will you...will you do me the favor of spending your life with me, going on wild adventures and exploring the world?"

I stared at him until the silence became deafening. The love of my life stood in front of me, offering me my dream. I somehow doubted that life could get any better. I let out an uninhibited shriek of delight and kissed him. Both of his arms wrapped themselves strongly around my torso and picked me up.

As he swung me around, I rubbed my face against his slightly unshaved cheek and laughed a little. We kissed once, desperately, and then again more gently.

"I missed you so much. I don't think I've ever been so stupid in my life," I said.

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Insult me again, I even missed that!"

"You must have been really desperate."

"Didn't I say so?"

"How often do you say what you mean?"

I paused. "I am now. I love you Mamo-chan. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you that."

He set me back down on the ground carefully, and looked into my eyes.

"You mean it," he said.

"Of course I mean it. What did you think?"

He shook his head. "I never knew what to think, and I hardly dared believe it was possible."

"Oh," I said nonchalantly, "it's quite possible, although if you don't kiss me right now, I might just--"

He took me at my word. Somewhere within that unending joy, I realized that this kind of happiness couldn't last forever. There would be problems, just like there had been before. But this time, I wouldn't run away from them. We would not walk off into the sunset together with a "happily ever after" at the end of our screen time. We would have adventures, and fights, and probably a couple more near-death experiences. We would make of our lives exactly what we wanted them to be, and we would do it together.

"I was wrong," I said, breaking off the kiss for a moment.

"About what?"

"There was nothing I should have done, after all. I don't regret anything."

I paused.

"Even the chickens."

---------------------

**THE END**

**:)  
**


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